Temperature Trade-Offs in High-Altitude Himalayan Marmot Burrowing: Balancing Predator Avoidance and Energy Expenditure

Herbert H.T. Prins; Tsewang Namgail; Ashok Subedi; Yorick Liefting

doi:10.65773/pcrr.2.1.155

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Research Article

Issue

Vol. 2 No. 1 (2026): In Progress

How to Cite

Prins, H. H., Namgail, T., Subedi, A., & Liefting, Y. (2026). Temperature Trade-Offs in High-Altitude Himalayan Marmot Burrowing: Balancing Predator Avoidance and Energy Expenditure. Polar and Cold Regions Research, 2(1), 45-59. https://doi.org/10.65773/pcrr.2.1.155

Authors

Herbert H.T. Prins*

Animal Sciences Group, Wageningen University, the Netherlands

Tsewang Namgail

Snow Leopard Conservancy India Trust, Changspa Sheldan, Leh, Ladakh, India

Ashok Subedi

National Trust for Nature Conservation, Khumaltar, Lalitpur, Nepal

Yorick Liefting

Wildlife Ecology & Conservation Group, Wageningen University, the Netherlands

Abstract

The Himalayan marmot (Marmota himalayana) inhabits short steppic grasslands in Tibet and the Trans-Himalaya regions of Nepal and India, at altitudes ranging from around 3000 meters to 5500 meters in the subnival zone. Their family life is centred on burrows, which may go down 2-10 m deep. Marmots are primarily preyed upon by the Golden eagle, Brown bear, Snow leopard and feral dogs. Consequently, marmots depend on safe burrows not only for hibernation but also for refuge when they sense danger. In order to gain deeper insights into the burrowing behaviour of marmots, we performed soil temperature measurements across various depths (ranging from 10 cm to 120 cm) and altitudes (ranging from approximately 3700 meters to 4750 meters), considering different slope orientations, in the sandy and gravelly soil where marmots create their burrows. Measurements were taken between late May which is when the marmots emerge from hibernation and mid-July. While surface temperatures can be high during the day, which benefits the marmots by reducing their energy expenditure, burrow temperatures at night are warmer than those at the surface. However, it is clear that if the marmots have to spend too much time underground due to disturbances, such as predators or humans, they face a trade-off due to low burrow temperatures during the day. Burrow temperature may also affect infectiousness of fleas carrying Yersinia pestis.

Keywords:

Himalayan marmot, soil temperature, altitude gradient, trade-off, Yersinia pestis

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