Features of tarbagan (Marmota sibirica Radde, 1862) behaviour [Caractéristiques comportementales de la tarbagan (Marmota sibirica Radde, 1862)].

Résumé

Observations of tarbagan (Marmota sibirica Radde 1862) behavior were spent in May-August 2007 in Mongolia during field work of Russian-Mongolian complex biological expedition on census of marmots. Animals were observed in registration areas almost every day for 1,5-2 hours in the morning and in the evening. Aggressive and pacific behaviors were remarked; the results were compared with earlier observed behavior of bobac’s (M. bobak Muller, 1776) in Russia, Kazakhstan and Ukraine. Two interesting differences in their behavior were noted? First of all, aggressive fighting contacts for territory among tarbagans were observed rarely. Secondly, temporary burrows near the borders of the neighbouring family areas were used often. Boundary burrows were used by animals often, and some of them looked as nest burrows. Animals from neighbouring families visited these burrows but not fighting was observed in these cases. Our observations showed greater tolerance of tarbagan than bobac to neighbors.