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The marmot is a large rodent with many names. Along with being called marmot, they are also called Canadian marmots, chickens, and even whistles. They are called whistles because they make a high-pitched sound as they push air through their teeth. They do this to alert other whistle pigs to predators or other hazards.
Marmots belong to the Sciuridae family. This family includes, among others, squirrels, chipmunks and prairie dogs.
Marmots are found in Canada as well as throughout the eastern half of the United States. They dig their holes in forests, meadows and fields. These mammals are good at finding something to eat in almost any environment.
Learn a few facts, including what a marmot eats, how it finds food, and what animals marmots eat.
What does a marmot eat?
The marmot’s diet includes fruits, vegetables, insects, eggs, small rodents, reptiles and amphibians. They are classified as omnivores.
Plantlife makes up the bulk of the groundhog’s diet. They eat grass, clover, and starfishes along with various types of wildflowers.
When there is little vegetation, marmots eat grasshoppers, beetles and other insects. The diet of this large rodent extends to small mammals, fish, reptiles and amphibians. They sometimes eat eggs from birds and reptiles.
Marmots have a universal diet. In other words, they can eat a variety of plants and animals in their habitat.
The Complete List of 10 Foods That Marmot Eats
This is a list of what the groundhog eats:
- Plants such as alfalfa, grasses, clover, tree bark, stellate, leaves
- Fruits such as berries, oranges, bananas, apples, tomatoes, watermelon.
- Vegetables such as carrots, lettuce, onions, potatoes, cucumbers, peppers.
- Flowers including dandelions, daisies, geraniums, hydrangeas, marigolds, and sunflowers.
- Insects, including beetles, grasshoppers, June bugs.
- Small mammals such as chipmunks, moles, squirrels, mice, rats.
- Small reptiles including turtles and lizards
- Amphibians such as toads and frogs
- A fish
- Bird and turtle eggs
What do marmots eat in the garden?
While the marmot eats food in the forest or meadow, it also visits the backyard gardens in search of its favorite fruits and vegetables. Unsurprisingly, many people living in the backyard garden go out of their way to keep marmots out of their vegetables and fruits!
Flower gardens are another favorite of marmots. They eat all kinds of flowers, which can certainly take their toll on a blooming backyard flower garden.
Foods that marmots eat in the garden include:
Vegetables
- Cabbage
- Lettuce
- Cucumbers
- Carrot
- Corn
- Onion
- Pepper
Fruits
- Berries
- Tomatoes
- Watermelon
- Strawberry
- Pumpkin
Flowers
- Impatient
- Hydrangeas
- Chamomile
- Sunflowers
- Marigold
- Peonies
- Geranium
How do marmots hunt prey?
When plants, fruits and vegetables are not available in their habitat, marmots prey on small rodents, insects, amphibians and reptiles.
Marmots live in meadows and forests, so they share their habitat with many of the smaller animals they eat. It is easy for them to catch grasshoppers by grabbing them with their claws. Marmots use their excellent digging skills to find bugs and worms underground. They also feed on June beetles and other insects that they find by ripping off pieces of tree bark for food.
Marmots live in burrows, so they have easy access to small rodents that live underground, such as mice and moles.
When visiting a nearby pond or lake for drinking, a hungry marmot may snatch a turtle or frog living in that habitat. If they find duck eggs in the tall reeds near the pond, they will likely steal one or two to eat. Sometimes marmots wade the water in search of small fish. They are skilled swimmers, so they can travel to deeper parts of a pond or stream to find amphibians, reptiles and fish.
What animals do marmots eat?
Foxes, coyotes, lynxes and badgers eat marmots. All of these predators live in the same habitat as marmots.
Foxes are faster than marmots and can hear movements underground. So, when the fox catches the movements of the groundhog in its burrow, it starts digging to get its prey. Alternatively, the fox can choose a spot next to the groundhog burrow and wait until he crawls out of it. The fox then chases the groundhog until it’s time to attack. The fox is not going to pounce until the marmot is far enough from its safe burrow.
Coyotes and lynxes are great at tracking marmots as they emerge from their burrows in search of food. Both of these mammals are larger than marmots and can easily defeat them.
Badgers live in burrows like marmots. This way, they can dig the ground to find a groundhog that is trying to escape. Badgers are known for their long claws, sharp teeth, and strength. This makes them a dangerous predator for the marmot.
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