Description
The Olympic marmot's head is wide with small eyes and ears; the body is stocky with stubby legs and sharp, rounded claws that facilitate digging; the tail is bushy and ranges from 15 to 25 cm (6 to 10 in) long. The Olympic marmot is about the size of a domestic cat; adults weigh from 3.1 to 11 kg (6.8 to 24 lb) and are from 67 to 75 cm (26 to 30 in) in length, with the average being 71 cm (28 in). It is the largest marmot, about 7% longer than the hoary and Vancouver Island marmots. This species has the greatest sexual dimorphism found in marmots, with adult males weighing on average 9.3 kg (21 lb) and adult females weighing 7.1 kg (16 lb).
The Olympic marmot has a double-layered coat consisting of soft thick underfur, for warmth, and coarser outer hairs. Infant marmots’ fur is dark gray in color; this changes in the yearling period to grayish brown with lighter patches. The adult coat is brown on the body with smaller white areas for most of the year, developing lighter brown patches during the summer. The first molt of the year occurs in June, commencing with two black patches of fur forming on the back of the shoulders; this black coloration then spreads to the rest of the body. In the fall, the coat is almost black but can fade to tan or even yellowish after surfacing from hibernation in the spring; the second molt is thought to occur during hibernation, explaining this change in the color of the fur. The Olympic marmot’s muzzle is almost always white, with a white band in front of the eyes.
The Olympic marmot can be readily distinguished from other species by coat color: it is brown all over, in contrast to the hoary marmot, which has black feet and a black spot on its head (but otherwise shares almost every other physical trait), and the Vancouver Island marmot, which has a very dark, almost black coat.
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