Alarm call of Himalayan marmot Marmota himalayana Hodgson (1841). Eboukovoï predourejdaiuchtchiï ob opasnosti signal gimalaïskogo sourka Marmota himalayana Hodgson (1841). [Cri d’alarme de la marmotte himalayenne Marmota himalayana Hodgson (1841)].

Résumé

Alarm call of Himalayan marmot was recorded in field conditions in Kun-Lun (China), Central (Nepal) and West (India) Himalayans. The alarm call is series of sounds. The interval between series is typically 5-20s. Each series consists of short rapidly emitted sounds. Usually series last less than 1 s, duration of each sound is less than 80 ms. Quite often additional sounds may appear between the main sounds. They are significantly shorter and have less amplitude than the main sounds. Inter sound period of the main sounds typicaliy 2-3 times longer than sound duration. The distinctive feature of alarm call of Himalayan marmot, if compare with other species of Marmota genus, is close position of the first and the second sounds in series as a result of fading phase of frequency modulation in the end of the first sound and beginning of the second one. Earlier this fact was shown by Blumstein (2003). As a result the interval between the first and the second sounds in series becomes much shorter. Value of the high-frequency component grows rapidly in the beginning of the sound in relatively wide range and has short fading part in the end of the sound. The first and the second sounds of series are exception. Similar to alarm calI of marmots from bobak group each sound of alarm call of Himalayan marmot starts with low-frequency component. Its expression varies in different animals. The study confirms species specificity and relationship of alarm calls ofHimalayan marmot and bobak group marmot based on presence of low-frequency component. Wide spread in scientific literature species name of Himalayan marmot - M. bobak is mistaken. Spectral structure of Himalayan marmot alarm call leads to assumption that the call forms as a result of bi-phonation. In vocalization animals use two acoustic sources simultaneousIy. By one of the sources the low-frequency component is formed, by the other - the high-frequency component. It is possible that the low-frequency component of the call (additional sound), which follows the high-frequency one, marmots produce whiIe inhaling.