The yellow-bellied marmot is the largest squirrel in Oregon. It has short legs, a short and bushy tail, and ears short and covered with fur. The pelage consists of a dense, wooly underfur covered by long, course guard hairs and is distinctively colored and marked.

In Oregon, it occurs in suitable habitats east of a line connecting Mt. Hood, Hood River County, and Mt. Mazama, Klamath County, except for the Columbia Basin. The primary requisites of suitable habitats for the yellow-bellied marmot are boulders or piles of rocks and an abundance of succulent vegetation in close proximity thereto. Occasionally, an abandoned building or pile of logs serves as a substitute for rocks.

Marmots hibernate; body temperature, heart rate, respiration, and physiological processes decline to extremely low levels. In central Oregon, marmots emerged from hibernation the last week of February or the first week of March, adult males first, followed in order by adult females, yearling females, and yearling males. Adults remained active for 135-150 days, entering hibernation by the end of July, or for juveniles mid August.

Photo by Kathy Munsel, ODFW