Forest Steppe Marmot

Forest Steppe MarmotThe forest-steppe marmot occurs in the southern part of Western Siberia. Recent field research treat it as a species, although some authors retain it as a subspecies of M. baibacina.What does it look like?A taxonomic revision describing museum material gives a grizzled brown coat mixed with ochre and cream, a dark brown to blackish-brown head, and buff underparts.How does it live?The forest-steppe marmot occurs in the southern part of Western Siberia. Recent field research treat it as a species, although some authors retain it as a subspecies of M. baibacina.A 2022–2024 survey on the northern edge of the range in Tomsk Oblast confirmed three colonies on south- or southwest-facing forested slopes. The authors describe use of flat terrain as uncommon for this marmot.Keeping it safeAn extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.