Sounds and communications of the yellow-bellied marmot ( Marmota flaviventris)

Abstract

Summary The sounds and communications of the yellow-bellied marmot were studied from June 1962 to June 1963, during the seasons these marmots were not hibernating. Auditory communications were of primary concern. The study areas varied in altitude from 5240 ft to about 12,000 ft. The two main study areas were in Gunnison and Larimer Counties, Colorado. The behaviour of the marmots was observed in the field and from films; their sounds were taperecorded on a battery-operated tape recorder of high quality. Recordings were played back to the marmots in the field with the recorder and a battery-operated amplifier and speaker. The sounds were analysed on a sound spectrograph. A sound level meter was used in the laboratory to measure the intensity of the sounds of a captive marmot. Yellow-bellied marmots older than 1 month of age and of either sex can produce at least three main types of sounds—‘whistles’, ‘screams’, and ‘tooth chatter’. The whistle sounds are modified by marmots to form six different calls. Some sounds may be used for more than one purpose, and purposes, such as giving alarm, are communicated by more than one means. Furthermore, any sound given within a ‘coterie’ is not repeated by any other member of that social group. Interspecies communication between marmots and the animals around them seems to exist. Auditory, visual, tactile, and olfactory stimulations are used by marmots for communicating. Most communicating situations involve some form of visual stimulation, such as tail positions. Yellow-bellied marmots do not seem to have an ‘aerial predator warning’ call nor an ‘all-clear’ call. Very little communication can occur unless the receiving animal is familiar with the animal giving the communication, and is also aware of the situation existing within that animal's environment.