Rev. Écol. (Terre Vie), vol. 63, 2008.
– 383 – Diet selection of the Alpine marmot (Marm ota m. marm ota L.)
in the Pyrenees I. Garin1*, A. Aldezabal2, J. Herrero3, A. GarcĂa-Serrano4 & J. L. RemĂłn4
T he Alpine marmot Marmota marmota Linnaeus, 1758 inhabited the Pyrenees during the
Pleistocene (Besson, 1971). At the end of that period, it disappeared from the Pyrenees, only persisting in the Alps (M. m. marmota) and in the Carpathian mountains (M. m. latirostris).
When available, Alpine marmots prefer to settle in east– and south-facing slopes, and in areas
1 Dept. Zoology and Animal Cell Biology, University of the Basque Country (UP V-EHU ), POB . 644, E-48080
Bilbo, Basque Country
2 Dept. Plant Biology and Ecology, University of the Basque Country (UP V-EHU ), POB 644, E-48080 Bilbo, Basque Country
3 Ecology Department, Faculty of Biology, Alcalá University, E-28871 Alcalá de Henares & Pyrenean Institute for
Ecology, POB 64, E-22700 Jaca
4 E Ega, Wildlife Consultants, Sierra de Vicort 31, E-50003 Zaragoza.
* C Corresponding author : Tel. : ++ 34946015329 ; Fax : ++ 34946013500. E-mail : inazio. garin@ ehu. es
