Did You Know?

By Iris Osborne, Grade 4 Northlake Woods Public School, Waterloo, Ont.

Vancouver Island Marmots are herbivores. They eat more than 40 different types of grasses, herbs and wildflowers.

These small mammals hibernate below ground from the middle of September until late April or early May.

In the spring, when they wake up from hibernation, they have to tunnel through several metres of snow.

A hibernating marmot’s heartbeat slows to three or four beats per minute. It has an average of 110 to 200 beats per minute when it’s active.

Vancouver Island Marmots are also called “whistle pigs” because they whistle when they are alarmed.