BEND, Ore. (AP) - About the yellow-bellied marmot, known in Central Oregon as the rock chuck:
Scientific name: Marmota flaviventris
Characteristics: Back is dark brown to black, belly is yellowish. Facial markings vary. Males typically outweigh females. Adult males range from 6½ to 11½ pounds and adult females range from 3½ to 9 pounds. Males average about 24 inches from head to tail tip, females 22 inches. Tail is about 3 to 5 inches long.
Habitat: Prefer meadows next to rock outcrops. Live in burrows under rocks, with entrances about 6 inches wide.
Habits: Spend about 80 percent of life underground. Hibernate about eight months out of the year, between August and March, depending on elevation. Live alone or in colonies of two to eight animals, with the colonies consisting of one male, several females and young.
Food: Mainly plants, such as grasses, forbs, flowers and seeds, but also some insects and bird eggs.
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Sources: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, High Desert Museum, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
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Information from: The Bulletin, https://www.bendbulletin.com
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