BC’s Coast Region: Species & Ecosystems of Conservation Concern:Vancouver Island Marmot (Marmota vancouverensis)

Résumé

Notes on Marmota vancouverensis: The largest member of the family Sciuridae (“squirrels”), there are 14 marmot species recognized globally, of which five occur in Canada, four of those in BC (Hoary, Yellow Bellied, Vancouver Island and Woodchuck). Closely related, and only recently divergent as a distinct species from Hoary and Olympic Marmot (a US species), Vancouver Island Marmot differs mainly in its pelage (fur) colour. Analysis of historic population distribution, including the discovery of remains of a colony from 1000-1200 years ago on Mount Heather on Vancouver Island, indicate this species was likely more abundant and widely distributed in previous centuries.