Distribution and Habitat
The hoary marmot inhabits mountainous environments from sea level to 2,500 metres (8,200 ft) elevation, through much of Alaska, western Canada, and the extreme northwest of the contiguous United States. They live above the tree line, at elevations from sea level to 2,500 metres (8,200 ft), depending on latitude, in rocky terrain or alpine meadows dominated by grasses, sedges, herbs, and Krummholz forest patches. Fossils are known dating back to the Pleistocene, including some from islands no longer inhabited by the species.
The three currently recognised subspecies are:
- Marmota caligata caligata - Alaska, Yukon, NW Territories, northern British Columbia
- Marmota caligata cascandensis - Cascade Mountains, from British Columbia to Washington
- Marmota caligata okanagana - Rocky Mountains, from Yukon to Montana and Idaho
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