• What is a Vancouver Island Marmot?• Appearance• History• Habitat• Diet and predators• Family and Behaviour• Why are there so few of them?• Mukmuk • Collage• Bibliography

• Species of marmot• Vancouver Island, British Columbia• Very endangered• Less than 100 in wild• Bred in captivity for species to increase• One of five rarest animals worldwide

• Size of large domestic cat• Chocolate brown with paler muzzle • Often white hairs on forehead, chin and

undersides • Males larger than females• Average weight 3.5 kg (8 lb.). • Newborns dark coat• Don't molt yearly

• Discovered 1911 by scientists• Species evolved from hoary marmots • Sea levels fell; pathway to island• Marmots crossed over• Glaciers melted, sea levels rose, isolating

island• 10 000-12 000 years ago began evolution• Adapted to habitat

• Vancouver Island• Alpine and subalpine meadows• Need large boulders for look-out rocks• Burrows • At least 1000 metres

• Herbivores• Eat many plants - Herbs, forbs - Alpine flowers• Predators include: - Cougars, wolves- Golden Eagles

• Small colonies, under five adults• Hibernate six months• Sit/lie on boulders, logs, and stumps• Little time spent feeding• Come out early morning/ late afternoon• Bound like squirrels, good climbers• Whistle/trill to communicate

• Causes of endangerment - Humans - Weather - Predators - Disease - Localized habitat

• Mascot for 2010 Olympic Winter Games• Chinook word “muckamuk” means eat• Qualities of real Vancouver Island marmot• Made into - Stuffed animals, shirts, bags, blankets,

slippers - Posters, Olympic books - Pins

• http://www.blindloop.com/index.php/2010/02/top-5-most-rare-animals-in-the-world/

• http://www.junglewalk.com/popup.asp?type=a&AnimalAudioID=7469

• http://www.marmots.org/• http://www.animalinfo.org/species/rodent/

marmvanc.htm• http://nature.ca/notebooks/english/

vanmarm.htm• http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/wld/documents/

marmot.pdf• http://www.vancouver2010.com/mascot/en/

profile_mm.php