Katchestvennaïa i kolichtchestvennaïa otsenka pitannïa stepnogo i krasnogo sourkov v ousloviïakh nevoli. [Évaluation qualitative et quantitative des comportements alimentaires de Marmota bobac et de la marmotte à longue queue, Marmota caudata en captivité. Qualitative and quantitative assessment of feeding habits of bobak, Marmota boba, and long-tailed marmot, M. caudata (Rodentia, Sciuridae) in captivity].

Résumé

Succulent plants from the families Fabaceae and Asteraceae are the preferable green forage of bobak. The food selection while feeding on green grasses, even in a cage, gives the gain of 115-119 Kj per 100 g of dry substance of forage. However, feeding marmots with green forage only does not provide energy needed by an organism. Bobak and long-tailed marmots do not differ in the level of food consumption. The biggest quantity of dry substance is consumed when the animals are fed with concentrated food (150-216 g per individual in a day), the least quantity of dry substance is consumed when they are fed with the green forage (70-110g). Specific consumption of forage by the one-year-old marmots on the average is 35% higher than by the adults. At the end of the period of activity (October) the food consumption decreases by 1.5-2 times. The coefficient of digestion depends on the quality of food used and varies from 70% for green forage to the 88% or even 96% for concentrated food.