How many baby Black-capped marmots are in a litter?
A Black-capped marmot (Marmota camtschatica) usually gives birth to around 5 babies.
Upon birth, they weight 33 grams (0.07 lbs) and measure 2.6 cm (0′ 2″). They are a member of the Sciuridae family (genus: Marmota). An adult Black-capped marmot grows up to a size of 40.6 cm (1′ 4″).
To have a reference: Humans obviously usually have a litter size of one ;). Their babies are in the womb of their mother for 280 days (40 weeks) and reach an average size of 1.65m (5′ 5″). They weight in at 62 kg (137 lbs), which is obviously highly individual, and reach an average age of 75 years.
The black-capped marmot (Marmota camtschatica) is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is endemic to the Russian Far East, but its range is discontinuous and divided into three main parts, each with its own subspecies. The black-capped marmot lives in arctic tundra and alpine habitats from near sea-level to an altitude of 2,000 m (6,600 ft). It is a relatively small marmot (head-and-body length c. 39.5–61.5 cm or 15.6–24.2 in, weight 1.65–5.4 kg or 3.6–11.9 lb) with a short tail and a distinct brown-black top of the head. Depending on exact subpopulation, they hibernate for 6–8 months each year, which is long for a marmot.Black-capped Marmot hibernates from September to mid-May. It is a diurnal and sedentary mammal. Black-capped Marmot is subject to extreme conditions throughout the year. Solar altitude plays a significant role in the daily activity pattern of family groups of Black-capped Marmots. So, the terrestrial activity of Black-capped Marmots is dependent on daylight period. They usually eliminate heat by lying on rocks or by entering the burrows. It also alters the soil properties that affect the floral structure and distribution of the Arctic tundra by burrowing, hibernation, trampling and reproduction. The main area (center) where the marmots live are gathered in two larger rooms typically so the family can hibernate in these areas. This is usually where the females give birth.
Other animals of the family Sciuridae
Black-capped marmot is a member of the Sciuridae, as are these animals:
- Fire-footed rope squirrel with 1 babies per pregnancy
- Thirteen-lined ground squirrel with 8 babies per pregnancy
- Peters’s squirrel weighting only 650 grams
- Piute ground squirrel with 7 babies per pregnancy
- Berdmore’s ground squirrel becoming 4.25 years old
- Eastern chipmunk raching a size of 14.6 cm (0′ 6″)
- European ground squirrel with 6 babies per pregnancy
- Daurian ground squirrel with 5 babies per pregnancy
- Western dwarf squirrel weighting only 120 grams
- Unstriped ground squirrel with 1 babies per pregnancy
Animals that share a litter size with Black-capped marmot
Those animals also give birth to 5 babies at once: