Marmota flaviventris
Silhouette: T. Michael Keesey · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
The yellow-bellied marmot (Marmota flaviventer), also known as the rock chuck, is a large, stout-bodied ground squirrel in the marmot genus. It is one of fourteen species of marmots, and is native to mountainous and semi-arid regions of southwestern Canada and western United States, including the Rocky Mountains, Sierra Nevada, and the Great Basin, often (but not exclusively) living above 2,000 metres (6,500 feet). The fur is mainly brown, with a dark bushy tail, yellow chest and white patch between the eyes, and they weigh up to approximately 5 kilograms (11 pounds). They are highly social creatures, living in burrows in colonies of up to twenty individuals. They are diurnal and feed on plant material, insects, and bird eggs. They hibernate for approximately eight months starting in September and lasting through the winter. They have an average lifespan of 15 years.
Yellow-bellied marmots usually weigh from 1.6–5.2 kg (3 lb 8 oz – 11 lb 7 oz) when fully grown, though males typically weigh more than females. The weight fluctuates quite drastically through the year, with the least measured in early spring and the most measured in early autumn. Adult males typically... Wikipedia →
Recording0:12
Canada · 2022
Daryl Nolan · iNaturalist · CC0
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Canada · 2026
© bene2024 · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
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United States · 2023
© onyxrat · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Rocky Mountain National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Grand Teton National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Yosemite National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Yellowstone National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Glacier National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Salt Lake City | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Vancouver | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 3 | Calgary | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 4 | Seattle | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zoo Idaho | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Yellow-bellied Marmot sighting in Vancouver on a given day, based on 25 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 20th most-seen of the 28 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April and June–July
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Yellow-bellied Marmot in Vancouver on a given day, against under 5% in May and August–March, the lowest months. Those are among Vancouver's driest months, with about 55 mm of rain a month against 210 mm in November.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Yellow-bellied Marmot sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 4 cities where we can rate Yellow-bellied Marmot sightings, Vancouver ranks 2nd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Salt Lake City (United States, under 5%).
Same family: Sciuridae
The closest relatives of the Yellow-bellied Marmot that you can see in Vancouver (family Sciuridae, Squirrels) are Eastern Gray Squirrel (about 40%) and Douglas' Squirrel (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Yellow-bellied Marmot is recorded against all the mammals logged in Vancouver (25 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
