Dynamics of the colonization process in reintroduced populations of the Alpine marmot

Abstract

ear-marked (by sex and family) marmots were released in two separate areas (20 ind./ year/area). In summer 2008 the populations produced 36 and 39 individuals, respectively; the animals born in the areas exceeded the number of released animals that survived. Only one pair bred successfully in the year of release; 87.5% of the surviving pairs bred the following year, including the pair breeding the previous year. We recorded the reproduction of a single female, and the acceptance of the litter by the male who later joined her. Mortality of the animals released in 2006 was 39% before the first winter and increased to 53.6% after the second summer. The first summer mortality of animals released in 2007 was higher, probably because of greater predation by golden eagles. The population density increased in late summer 2008 to 13.5 and 22.2 family units/100 ha, respectively in the two areas. In 2006, when both areas were uninhabited, the mean dispersion distance from the release site to settlement sites was greater in males than in females. Sixty-one per cent of the settlements consisted of pairs; 33%, a single male; and 6%, of a trio (marmots from different families). The single males settled more distantly than paired males. Of all the possible "same-family composed " pairs, 77.6% occurred.

Release date influences first‐year site fidelity and survival in captive‐bred Vancouver Island marmots

“…, Marmota marmota, Borgo et al. ). Site fidelity of captive‐bred Vancouver Island marmots was most influenced by release date, and marmots released later in the active season were more likely to hibernate within 1 km of the release site.…”

“…) could affect fidelity to release site, that active season survival would be highest for site‐faithful marmots (Arnold , Van Vuren and Armitage ), and that age (Blumstein and Arnold , Bryant , Lenihan and Van Vuren , Appendix : Table S1) and hibernation behavior would predict overwinter survival (Borgo et al. ).…”

“…An analysis of survival in free-living and captive-bred marmots using radiotelemetry and mark-recapture from 2003 to 2007 confirmed predation as the most frequent cause of mortality in both groups (Aaltonen et al 2009), and also that annual survival in captive-bred marmots was 24% less (0.61, 95% CI = 0.51-0.70) than in wildbred marmots (0.85, 95% CI = 0.76-0.92), due largely to low survival in captive-bred marmots in the active season when all marmots are most vulnerable to predation (Aaltonen et al 2009). Prior studies of Vancouver Island marmots and their congeners suggest that sex, age (Arnold 1990a, Bryant 1996, Armitage 1999, and social cohesiveness (Downhower and Armitage 1981, Blumstein et al 2009, Armitage et al 2011) could affect fidelity to release site, that active season survival would be highest for site-faithful marmots (Arnold 1990b, Van Vuren andArmitage 1994), and that age (Blumstein and Arnold 1998, Bryant 1996, Lenihan and Van Vuren 1996, Appendix S1: Table S1) and hibernation behavior would predict overwinter survival (Borgo et al 2009).…”

The successful introduction of the alpine marmot Marmota marmota in the Pyrenees, Iberian Peninsula, Western Europe

“…In the Alps, marmots are preyed upon heavily by red foxes Vulpes vulpes (Borgo et al. ; J. H., personal observation) and, to a lesser extent, by goshawks Accipiter gentilis (Perrone et al. , Lenti Boero ) and Eurasian lynx Lynx lynx (Breitenmoser & Haller , Jobin et al.…”

“…Today, however, marmots are a large part of the diet of golden eagles (Mañosa et al 2009). In the Alps, marmots are preyed upon heavily by red foxes Vulpes vulpes (Borgo et al 2009; H., personal observation) and, to a lesser extent, by goshawks Accipiter gentilis (Perrone et al 1992, Lenti Boero 1999 and Eurasian lynx Lynx lynx (Breitenmoser & Haller 1993, Jobin et al 2000. In the Pyrenees, golden eagles, foxes and domestic dogs Canis familiaris are major predators of alpine marmots (Herrero & García-González 2007;J.…”