Steppe Marmot Research Articles

Aberrations of the alarm call of the steppe marmot, Marmota bobak (Rodentia, Sciuridae)

Aberrations, or deviations from the normal type of alarm call have been studied in the steppe marmot. One regular and several rare aberrations have been identified. The regular aberration manifests itself in all six populations studied, from the Kharkov Region in the west to the eastern border of the Orenburg Region in the east, with its frequency in the populations varying in different years from 10 to 66%. Rare aberrations occur sporadically and not in all populations.

Increased frequency of the acoustic signal aberrations in the peripheral populations of the steppe marmot

Analysis of the frequency spectrum of the alarm call from the steppe marmot ( Marmota bobak Muller, 1776) demonstrated aberrations in all populations throughout the major part of the species area. In the peripheral part, deviations from the normal type were much more frequent than in the center of the area. In biological literature, aberration means a noticeable deviation from the wild phenotype of the species. In population phenetics, aberrations are usually assumed to result from mutations, though this has been confirmed directly only in a few natural populations. In this study, magnetic recordings of the vocal response of the steppe marmot to the presence of a human in the colony were collected under field conditions. By means of an acoustic signal, marmots alert their neighbors to the potential or real danger, including arrival of humans [1]. The signal was analyzed using the SpectraLab v.4.32.11 for Windows software. In total, the spectrograms obtained from 640 individuals from eight local populations were studied (table). The working names of the populations, their locations (the administrative region and district), and the year of collection are shown below.

Effect of atmosphere temperature near the soil surface on air convection in mammalian burrows (as exemplified by of steppe marmot burrow).

Effect of atmosphere temperature near the soil surface on air convection in mammalian burrows (as exemplified by of steppe marmot burrow).

Air Temperature Changes in a Steppe Marmot Burrow in the Summer–Autumn Period

Observations of air temperature changes in a steppe marmot burrow were performed from late July to mid-October. Until early September, temperature in the burrow remained relatively constant, but then it began to decrease rapidly. This occurred after air temperature above the ground became equal to the temperature in the burrow. Supposedly, it is in this particular period that marmots begin to plug the entrance to the burrow with earth, thus reducing heat exchange between the increasingly cold aboveground air and the air in the burrow.

Thermal characteristics of mammalian burrows in summer (using a burrow of the steppe marmot as an example).

Thermal characteristics of mammalian burrows in summer (using a burrow of the steppe marmot as an example).

The steppe marmot—its past and future

The steppe marmot of European Russia has suffered from hunting pressure and agricultural development in the past. Now it is regaining its former range by colonizing abandoned farming areas and this process is being helped by reintroduction programmes. Once secure these marmots show considerable potential for increase and could form the basis for a useful and substantial harvest in the future.

AN EXPERIMENT IN MAPPING THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE STEPPE MARMOT USING AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHS

A method for mapping the distribution of a common steppe mammal, the steppe marmot, is described, based on the interpretation of air photos of its life activities (i.e., burrows). Air photos at 1:30,000 scale are used in the compilation of a map of the density of marmot burrows, which permits close and more efficient investigation of the spatial correspondence of marmot habitats and natural conditions and facilitates the selection of routes and areas of sampling in advance of marmot population counts. Translated by Kurt E. Engelmann, Seattle, WA 98195 from: Vestnik Moskovskogo Universiteta, geografiya, 1989, No. 3, pp. 94–99.