Researchers on Vancouver Island are using a new outdoor scale to assess the health of critically endangered marmots and determine if larger marmots have more babies. The scale, designed to be rugged yet comfortable for the marmots, incorporates a unique identification system that reads a chip implanted in each animal. The project is part of a larger study investigating the impact of providing calorie-dense biscuits near marmot wintering shelters on their weight and reproduction.
An endangered marmot sits on an outdoor scale on Vancouver Island in a handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Wilder InstituteTechnicians and researchers with Vancouver Island University and the Wilder Institute are ready to deploy their latest version of an outdoor scale this summer to assess the health of the critically endangered species and determine if larger marmots have more babies.
The work is part of a study looking into the benefits of providing a wild marmot with calorie-dense biscuits near their wintering shelter to see if extra food boosts their body weight as well as their reproduction.
ENDANGERED SPECIES CONSERVATION WILDLIFE RESEARCH MARMOTS CLIMATE CHANGE
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