Marmots are adorable but they’re still wild pests. Spokane residents are seeing more of them now that spring is coming to a close and they are done hibernating.
In one Reddit thread, several residents cautioned against feeding the neighborhood marmots.
“I like to get stoned and hand feed them cream cheese and carrots,” said one commenter.
“Please don’t feed them, they are chonky enough“, quickly replied another commenter.
What Types of Marmots Are Found in Washington State
Marmots are mostly found in high alpine locations. There are three types of marmots we typically see here in Washington:
This is a Yellow-bellied Marmot in the wild.
Yellow-bellied Marmot
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What To Do If You See a Marmot
If you come across any marmots, do not be alarmed. They might whistle loudly as a way of communicating with other marmots, but they typically leave humans alone.
Marmots are rodents, so it might look like a huge furry rat on steroids. They start hibernating around the end of summer and the start of fall (September and October), and then they come out of hibernation around the end of spring.
This is what a Hoary Marmot looks like.
Hoary Marmot in the wild.
“I’ve found Redband Park and the lawn in front of Innovate Washington (near 665 N Riverpoint Blvd) to be the best viewing spots,” says one local Spokane Valley resident.
Comment
by
u/priusjames from discussionin
Spokane
Olympic marmots prefer fresh, tender, flowering plants such as lupine and glacier lilies. In May and June, they will eat roots and may even gnaw on trees.
I don’t think it’s a good idea to feed the marmots cream cheese! Carrots should be cool though!
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Gallery Credit: Reesha Cosby