Marmot Question

Here's just a random off-topic question for all of you. Hopefully someone knows the answer. Any wildlife biologists out there??

Why are there no (or very few) Marmots in Oregon?

Those little critters are practically rampant up and down the Sierra chain and even more so prevailent north of Mount Adams. Actually, they seem abundant in almost every range I can think of in the Western US. Still, the range from Crater Lake to Hood has none that I've ever seen (I may have seen some on Hood once, but can't recall exactly). In Rainier, you can hardly walk through some areas without hearing the familiar high-pitched squeel these ground dwellers make before disappearing into their burrows. In exactly the same habitant in the Three Sisters I've never seen one in hundereds of days of hiking.

Thanks for any info.

Marc

Oregonians prefer beavers?

or ducks!!!

only thing I've read is that they like to be between 6,000 and 10,000 in elevation...maybe it's the amount of vegetation and soil types at those elevations are less condusive and plentiful in these parts...but that's a major guess.

I've seen quite a few marmots up on Hood, but that's the only place I've seen em in Oregon.

I saw them on Crater lake and Hood as well, but other than that noy much if any. Migt be the national park protection. In Colorado they wanted some moose for hunting atraction, so let some 20 moose run free just west of the RMNP within twoo years all the moose were in the park . Also I find Sisters and others to me too dry and less habitat friendly than Rainier for example. There is a species of marmot in Olympics that only lives there (and the same for beaver i think?). well anyway just my $0.02
Tomas

Thanks for the answers, guys. Seems no one is quite sure but I think Tomas is on to something here. The Sisters - my backyard where I've spent probably six months of my life hiking, Jefferson and many of the highlands in the central cascades get particularly dry during the late Summer months when Marmots would be stocking up for Winter hibernation. I've actually been know to refer to the highlands in the Sisters as an alpine desert during August. Just one look at the sub-alpine meadows from the top of a nearby peak and you'll see sandy, brown soils and little vegitation excepting areas immediately adjacent to lakes and streams. By contrast, the parks of Rainier, the North Cascades and to a lesser extent, Hood have abundant foliage that drys out and can still be harvested for Winter by the marmots. Rainier offers the richest soil and most abundant seasonal ground foliage of any area in the NW, and therefore the highest concentration of Marmots - Pikas and Goats too (neither of which reside in the Sisters). I would venture to guess that this lack of foliage has much to do with recent volcanic activity and probably other factors influencing the nutrient content of the soil.

I do not know about the Marmots to the south of us but ours are in hibernation already. They are seldom seen after the middle of August.

Lee, where do you live at? I see Marmots out and about here until around Oct. 1