Marmota caligata
Silhouette: T. Michael Keesey · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~90% in a week >90%
The hoary marmot (Marmota caligata) is a species of marmot that inhabits the mountains of northwest North America. Hoary marmots live near the tree line on slopes with grasses and forbs to eat and rocky areas for cover. It is the largest North American ground squirrel and is often nicknamed "the whistler" for its high-pitched warning issued to alert other members of the colony to possible danger. The animals are sometimes called "whistle pigs". Whistler, British Columbia, originally London Mountain because of its heavy fogs and rain, was renamed after these animals to help make it more marketable as a resort. The closest relatives of the species are the yellow-bellied, Olympic, and Vancouver Island marmots, although the exact relationships are unclear.
The hoary marmot is a large, bulky, ground squirrel, with short, heavy limbs, and a broad head. Adults range from 62 to 82 cm (24 to 32 in) in total length, including a 17 to 25 cm (6.7 to 9.8 in) tail. The species is sexually dimorphic, with males being significantly larger than females in most subspecies. Because of their long winter hibernation, during which they survive on fat reserves, the weight of the animals... Wikipedia →
Recording0:07
United States · 2021
© Matt Bowser · iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0
Recording0:11
Canada · 2025
© Annie Pumphrey · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recording0:22
Canada · 2021
© Katrice Baur · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Glacier National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Jasper National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 3 | Banff National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 4 | Kenai Fjords National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Denali National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Great Bear Rainforest | 🇨🇦 Canada |
Likely
About 50% of wildlife watchers report a Hoary Marmot sighting in Jasper National Park on a given day, based on 212 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 5th most-seen of the 25 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 90%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
July
In that month about 70% of wildlife watchers report a Hoary Marmot in Jasper National Park on a given day, against under 5% in January, March and October, the lowest months. That is one of Jasper National Park's wettest months, with about 130 mm of rain against 55 mm in April.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Hoary 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.
2nd of 6
Of the 6 parks where we can rate Hoary Marmot sightings, Jasper National Park ranks 2nd at about 50%. The best odds are in Glacier National Park (United States, about 60%). All parks ranked.
Same family: Sciuridae
The closest relatives of the Hoary Marmot that you can see in Jasper National Park (family Sciuridae, Squirrels) are Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel (about 50%), Columbian Ground Squirrel (about 50%) and American Red Squirrel (about 50%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Hoary Marmot is recorded against all the mammals logged in Jasper National Park (212 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
