Hoary Marmot
Hoary MarmotHoary MarmotHoary MarmotHoary Marmot

Hoary Marmot

Marmota caligata

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
40–50% · Likely
overall probability at Kenai Fjords National Park
29 Verified records at Kenai Fjords National Park
September Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

The hoary marmot (Marmota caligata) is a species of marmot that inhabits the mountains of northwest North America. Hoary marmots live near the tree line on slopes with grasses and forbs to eat and rocky areas for cover. It is the largest North American ground squirrel and is often nicknamed "the whistler" for its high-pitched warning issued to alert other members of the colony to possible danger. The animals are sometimes called "whistle pigs". Whistler, British Columbia, originally London Mountain because of its heavy fogs and rain, was renamed after these animals to help make it more marketable as a resort. The closest relatives of the species are the yellow-bellied, Olympic, and Vancouver Island marmots, although the exact relationships are unclear. Wikipedia →

40–50% of wildlife watchers report a Hoary Marmot sighting in Kenai Fjords National Park, based on 29 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Kenai Fjords National Park

American Red Squirrel
LC Endemic

American Red Squirrel

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Tamiasciurus hudsonicus

Insufficient data
Northern Red-backed Vole

Northern Red-backed Vole

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Myodes rutilus

20–30% · Possible
Quiller

Quiller

☀️🌙 Day & Night Mammal

Erethizon dorsatus

Insufficient data

📅 Monthly Probability

20–30
Jan
30–40
Feb
20–30
Mar
20–30
Apr
5–10
May
20–30
Jun
50–60
Jul
40–50
Aug
70–80
Sep
30–40
Oct
40–50
Nov
40–50
Dec

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Probability
1 Glacier National Park 🇺🇸 United States
50–60%
2 Jasper National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
40–50%
3 Banff National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
40–50%
4 Kenai Fjords National Park 🇺🇸 United States
40–50%
5 Denali National Park 🇺🇸 United States
10–20%
6 Kluane National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
10–20%
7 Great Bear Rainforest 🇨🇦 Canada
5–10%
8 Wrangell-St. Elias National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Hoary Marmot in Kenai Fjords National Park?

About 42% of wildlife watchers report a Hoary Marmot sighting in Kenai Fjords National Park, based on 29 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Hoary Marmot in Kenai Fjords National Park?

September has the highest sighting rate for Hoary Marmot in Kenai Fjords National Park in our monthly data.

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