%20-%20Rochers-de-Naye%2C%20Switzerland%2C%202009.JPG)
Tarbagan Marmot
Marmota sibirica (Radde, 1862)
Also calledMarmota mongola (spa) · Marmota-siberiana (por) · Marmotta siberiana (ita) · Marmotta tarbagan (ita) · Marmotte de Sibérie (fra) · Mongol Tarvaga (mon) · Sibirisches Murmeltier (deu) · Sibirmurmeldyr (nob) · Sibirski svizac (hrv) · Sibirya Marmotu (tur) · Surok Mongol'Skii (rus) · Tarbagan (rus) · siperianmurmeli (fin) · svišť tarbagan (ces)
First described in: Reise in den Suden von Ost-Sibierien p.159
The tarbagan marmot (Marmota sibirica) is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is found in China (Inner Mongolia and Heilongjiang), northern and western Mongolia, and Russia (southwest Siberia, Tuva, Transbaikalia). In the Mongolian Altai Mountains, its range overlaps with that of the gray marmot. The species was classified as endangered by the IUCN in 2008.
Two subspecies are recognized, M. s. sibirica and M. s. caliginosus.
Descriptions from checklists and floras indexed by GBIF
activity
Activity patterns. Tarbagan Marmots are diurnal and social hibernators. They are only active for 5 - 6 months each summer and hibernate in burrows for the remaining 6 - 7 months of the year; spring emergenceis in April-May.
Sciuridae
biology_ecology
Habitat. Open habitats in semi-desert, steppe, foreststeppe, and grass-covered montane slopes and valleys.
Sciuridae
biology_ecology
Movements, Home range and Social organization. Burrows of Tarbagan Marmots are relatively complex with multiple entrances and are recognizable by a small pile of soil and barren ring around the entrance. Colonies are extensive; densities are 1 - 7 ind / ha. They overwinter in communal groups of as many as 20 individuals and are highly social species. Group member interactions are highly amicable, and unfamiliar individuals face considerable aggression and chases. Family groups are composed of reproductive pair and their young from previouslitters, young under or equalto three years of age. Alarm call is a simple high-pitched whistle.
Sciuridae
breeding
Breeding. The Tarbagan Marmot lives in multi-burrow colonies. Mating occurs in March-April immediately after emergence from hibernation. Litters of 3 - 8 young are born in burrows after gestation of 40 - 42 days. Young emerge in June and remain with their natal group for at least three years. First-year survival is 70 - 80 % if females are not removed by trapping and hunting.
Sciuridae
From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA), quoted section by section
Description
The tarbagan marmot is medium-sized compared to other marmots, with a 0.25 head-to-body ratio. During the summer, its hair is between 11–20 mm and grows up to 30 mm during winter months. Its fur has two separate slate bands, followed by a white band, and its cheeks are yellow. Its zygomatic arches are slightly expanded compared to other marmot species. Populations in western Mongolia tend to have wider skulls compared to other tarbagan marmots. Males tend to weigh more than females and are larger, both having an average weight of 6–8 kg. The tarabagan marmot is one of the two only marmot species to inhabit lowland areas, the other being the groundhog. The tarbagan marmot is herbivorous, like all other marmots, and consumes steppe grasses. It is mainly found throughout Mongolia, with its range extending west to the Altai Mountains, east to Inner Mongolia, north to Transbaikal, and south to the Dzungarian Basin, in the Gobi Desert.
In human culture
The word "tarbagan" comes from Russian тарбаган (tarbagan), which originates from Proto-Mongolic and denotes specific rodent species; it is related to "targa", the word for beaver in the Ulch and Nanai languages. Other names for the tarbagan marmot include Siberian marmot and Mongolian marmot.
In the stacks
Searching the stacks…
Every page naming Marmota sibirica in the Biodiversity Heritage Library →
From the GBIF Backbone Taxonomy and occurrence records (GBIF.org), with Wikipedia and the Source Library. GBIF species 2437372.