Did you know that Yellow Bellied Marmots can spend about 80% of their lives underground? This is mostly due to how long marmots will hibernate. They will usually hibernate between September to mid-late March depending on the weather that year. Yellow Bellied marmots are also known as true hibernators since they will not exit their burrow at any time during their hibernation. They have to really stock up during the summer in order to make it through the cold months.
There are 4 species of marmots in BC but the one most likely found around the Okanagan and Similkameen are the Yellow Bellied Marmots. These local marmots can also be referred to as rockchucks because you can usually find them on or around rock piles. The other marmots in BC include hoary marmots, woodchucks (or groundhogs), and Vancouver Island marmots which are considered one of the rarest species in North America.