Steppe marmot
Have you ever heard of prairie marmots? They are also called baybucks. They are small, funny animals that usually live in steppes and meadows. They look like small brown or greyish fur balls with small ears that run on short legs.
What bobak marmot eat
The bobak marmot are true vegetarians. They like to eat grass, leaves, roots and different kinds of grains. Sometimes they even eat some kinds of insects, but most of all they like fresh green leaves and juicy grass stems. Groundhogs don't stock up for winter and don't usually drink water - moisture from plants and morning dew is enough for them.
Life of the bobak marmot
The bobak marmot loves company and usually live in large groups. They love to play with each other and help take care of cubs.
They have distinctive "homes" that we call burrows. They have simple dens for temporary housing, where they hide from danger. There can be up to 10 such dens! And they also have special burrows for summer and winter. Summer burrows are a complex system of tunnels with several exits. Here marmots have separate "rooms" for rubbish and a special place where they put dry grass and roots. Winter burrows are usually deeper so that frost does not get in and marmots do not freeze.
Winter sleep bobak marmot
In late summer, marmots get a little chubby because they are gaining weight. Then, in late August or September, they go into their winter dens. The marmots cover all burrow entrances with plugs of earth and rocks and go to sleep for several months. During this time, their burrows are always warm, even when it is very cold outside. During winter sleep, marmots practically do not move and do not eat, they just sleep and live off their fat. Interestingly, when they sleep, their body cools down, their breathing slows down, and their heart beats slower. But when they wake up in the spring, they're still pretty chubby because they still have some fat left.
How The bobak marmot have babies
March and April is the time when marmots get ready to become parents. A mama marmot's pregnancy lasts about a month, and she usually gives birth to three to six baby marmots.
The bobak marmot are born naked and blind, and they are very small - the length of a palm and weighing only 30-40 grams, which is about the weight of one large carrot. Their eyes do not open until a month after birth.
The bobak marmot stay with their parents until the following summer and then build their own burrows. However, even in the second winter they stay with their parents. Groundhogs do not become adults until their third year of life.
So here they are, our little friends the marmots, or baybucks. They are really interesting and funny creatures.
