Why Alpine marmots are retreating higher into the mountains
In short: Watch how these rabbit-sized rodents navigate a changing climate. This documentary captures their high-altitude survival, from intense territorial battles to sophisticated warning systems against predators.
Marmots were originally lowland inhabitants of Tirol before melting glaciers pushed them into the mountains during the last ice age. As temperatures rise today, they are retreating further upward because they find areas below 800 meters too warm.
The film highlights their grueling survival cycle: emerging from a six-month hibernation having lost up to one-third of their body weight, they must immediately establish families. To survive, they employ sentinels who use shrill whistles to alert the group to threats like golden eagles.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Marmots: The Inhabitants of the Alps | Free Documentary Nature
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