Daily activity cycle and resting-spotting behaviour in the alpine marmot (Marmota marmota L.). Tsikl dnevno? aktivnosti i povedenie alpi?skogo sourka (Marmota marmota L.) vo vremya otdykha i osmatrivaniya. [Cycle d’activité journalier et comportement de surveillance chez la marmotte alpine (Marmota marmota L.)].

Résumé

Introduction. For any living species, time is a not disposable resource. For this reason behaviours must be allocated along the life time-line of one individual according a hierarchical order that must guarantee 1) growth and survival and 2) reproduction. During summer season, and across the day, many marmot spp. exhibit a peculiar behaviour defined "spotting" or wary-sitting lying. Earlier studies in Marmota marmota suggested that spotting was related to sun exposition, that is to self maintenance, however, successive studies maintained that spotting is related to territorial control. This aspect of alpine marmot behaviour is investigated in the present study. Methods. The data were collected during a field study which took place from 1985 until1992 during the months of July, August and September at the Gran Paradiso National Park, Valle d’Aosta, Italy. Results. A normal daily cycle started in the early morning when animals came out of burrows and rest/spot for a while. Hour of coming out varied according to time in the season and to weather. Wary sitting and spotting preceded foraging, but it was exhibited throughout the day. Different age classes showed different time budget allocation; adult males and females did more spotting than other age classes, and yearling and infants did more feeding. Wary sitting was exhibited also when the sky was cloudy or when it was raining or foggy. In conclusion warysitting do es not seem to be linked to heating in the alpine marmots, but seems to be related to territorial survey.