Abstract
We conducted extensive surveys of two species of marmots from 2011 to 2014 in the Indian Trans-Himalayan region, covering parts of Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh. In total, 6,581 km of motorable road was traversed to cover nine different landscapes/watersheds during the survey. All possible marmot habitats within the visible range from the road were checked by two observers, and whenever a marmot or a prospective marmot colony was sighted, the vehicle was stopped to record populations and habitat use. The highest occurrence of Long-tailed Marmot Marmota caudata was recorded in Rangdum valley, Western Ladakh, while Himalayan Marmot M. himalayana was recorded most frequently in Changthang plateau and Sarchu-Morey Plains. Overall, there were 99 detections (265 individuals) of the Long-tailed Marmot and 168 detections (378 individuals) of the Himalayan Marmot. Long-tailed Marmots were mostly sighted 3,500 m above msl with maximum sightings between 4,000 and 4,500 m, while Himalayan Marmots were mostly sighted between 4,500 and 5,000 m. Anthropogenic pressures, such as construction and road widening, unregulated tourism, and overgrazing in alpine habitats, along with free-ranging dogs recorded across all survey areas were perceived as major threats to marmots. The study findings provide baseline data for future comparisons of marmot population trends and for predicting the response of these species to increasing anthropogenic pressures and changing climate.References
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