I Love Marmots in the Springtime

Mr. Marmot - July, 2023

​It is spring, and Mr. Marmot has made his annual appearance at the gazebo outside my office building. He guards the rocky entrance to his subterranean abode, slouching back against the wooden gazebo base, short front arms resting on his chest, watching the world go by.  His lounging comes to an abrupt end when anyone or anything is too near. He glares, harrumphs, and then disappears down the burrow. 

The marmots living in Colorado are yellow-bellied marmots. Marmots are also known as rockchucks and whistle-pigs. They can be over two feet long, and weigh roughly eleven pounds. They prefer chomping on flowering plant stalks but will feast on green grasses and leaves as well - the important part is to eat, and eat all summer long, as they must put on lots of fat to make it through their long hibernation. They lose half their summer weight during hibernation, and hibernation is a major factor in their mortality: not enough weight going in, or a burrow not deep enough, means they won’t make it to spring.

With the arrival of spring, and plenty of green foodstuffs, the marmots lose no time in mating. Mama Marmot will give birth to anywhere from three to eight little ones. The gestation period is only 30 days - imagine producing up to eight babies in just one month!

No wonder Mrs. Marmot is a rare sight around our gazebo. She needs all of her energy to grow those teensy ones, and once they are born, she needs all of her energy to nurse them in the burrow. At 20-30 days the babies are weaned and begin to step out. This year I’ve counted five baby marmots at the gazebo, all roly-poly miniatures of their parents. These little balls of joy scamper about, though under the watchful eye of Mr. (and sometimes Mrs.) Marmot, and never too far away to quickly dart under the protective gazebo, inquisitive face peering out from the shadows.

Marmots are typically out of the burrow for mid morning and early evening meal times - much of the rest of the day they are in the burrow. This is partially to avoid predators like owls, golden eagles, hawks, coyotes, and weasels. 

Our marmot family doesn’t seem to follow some of the behavior mentioned in some articles. For example, there is no evidence of the burrow harem of several females - it seems Mr. and Mrs. Marmot of the gazebo are monogamous. Also, though eating is most likely high on their agenda, most of the activity I observe is playing, rolling, running around, and basking in the sun. They also don’t do a lot of whistle-warning, they simply slip into their burrow sanctuary. 

As the summer days become warmer, and the marmot babies become larger, Mr. Marmot seems to relax a bit. He waddles around showing off his successful weight-gain, and last year he somehow made it to the gazebo railing where he posed his sleek self for all to admire.

Seeing the marmots each year is something people frequenting the building take great delight in. There is a bit of happy hopefulness to see this furry family in action. Something comforting in their day to day, in the safety of their gazebo burrow, under the luxuriant green shade of old tree friends, in their play, in their cycle of life that keeps on keeping on.


Sources/Learn More
Yampatika: Wildlife of Steamboat 
Colorado Parks and Wildlife: Yellow-Bellied Marmot
National Park Service: Marmot
YouTube video: Meet Colorado’s Marmots

Originally published May, 2025

First Sighting - March, 2026