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Marmota caligata
The hoary marmot (Marmota caligata) is a species of marmot and the largest North American ground squirrel. Often nicknamed "the whistler" for its high-pitched warning issued to alert other members of the colony to possible danger. The animals are sometimes called "whistle pigs". The closest relatives of the species are the yellow-bellied, Olympic, and Vancouver Island marmots, although the exact relationships are unclear.
Hoary marmots inhabit the mountains of northwest North America and live near the tree line on slopes with grasses and forbs to eat and rocky areas for cover.
Spotted on the Skyline Loop Trail, Mt. Rainier NP. It was a very friendly marmot and approached us very close (I suspect many visitors feed them?). This is my 100th spotting! (A very small step, but still :-) )
Spotted on Jul 28, 2013
Submitted on Jul 29, 2013
8 Comments
Thank you Marta!
Congratulations on your 100 spotting! is a very friendly-looking marmot! :-)
Thank you Frederic! He was only a few feet away, so I got lucky. :-)
Nice portrait! Well spotted
Thank you Rieko-san! Still have a long way to go! :-)
Congratulations Yuko-san!
Thank you Jared! :-)
Nice face! Congrats on 100. :-)