Yellow-bellied Marmot

Description:

The upper-parts are dark grizzled yellow-brown, the side of the neck, belly and hips are bright yellow-brown.

Habitat:

The yellow-bellied marmot is usually in valley bottoms and alpine tundra habitats in the Rockies. It was rather unusual to spot this species so far in the Prairies, however the head-smashed-in buffalo jump interpretive center seems to have provide them a new spot.

Notes:

This particular marmot was trying to play 'wood': not moving, flat and elongated on the ground. When it realized we were really watching it, it moved farer.