Yellow-bellied marmots are stout, cat-sized members of the rodent family that occupy rocky outcrops and boulder-strewn areas of high alpine meadows, forest edges, and lower canyons of the Rocky Mountains and Sierra Nevada Range. They can be found at elevations ranging from 5,400 to 14,000 feet. Although the yellow-bellied marmot does resemble its close relative, the woodchuck, the two are entirely different species. The thick fur coat of Colorado marmots varies in color from brown to yellow brown and the somewhat short tail is usually quite bushy. In addition to its yellowish underside, the marmot has a whitish band on the nose and across the neck.
When you hike in marmot territory, be aware of vocalizations that alert you to their presence. For the most part, marmots tend to be very social animals, existing in colonies of one dominant male, several females, and their offspring. Like the precocious pika, marmots warn others of potential threats from intruders. Vocal communications include a single-note whistle, a series of chirps, or a more rapid trill sound. Wildlife biologists believe that the alarm call of some rodents, like the marmot, can actually communicate the degree of a threat as well as whether the predator is approaching from the sky (a hawk) or the ground (a coyote or dog.) Once the alarm is sounded, marmots scatter for the safety of their burrows and may take a while before they venture out into the open again. (Go to http://www.marmotburrow.ucla.edu/ybelly.html to hear recorded marmot calls.) If you are able to view marmots without being detected by an alert sentry, you may observe a variety of behaviors including playing, grooming, housecleaning, feeding, and antagonistic displays like chasing, fighting, and threat posturing.
As with all wild creatures, always keep your distance, especially in those instances where the animal appears to have lost its fear of humans. Yellow-bellied marmots can get quite “friendly” in areas where people practice the illegal and unhealthy feeding of wildlife. Remember, they can carry diseases like the plague and may become quite aggressive if they think you have food to offer.