New remote scale helps weigh biscuit-eating endangered marmots
It’s part of research on the benefits of providing supplemental food to the endangered species
For Vancouver Island's wild marmots, having more junk in the trunk may be the difference between life and death.
And the research that involves feeding them biscuits just got an upgrade: technicians have created a scale to weigh the marmots remotely.
The study, a partnership between the Marmot Recovery Foundation and the Wilder Institute, looks at the benefits of providing supplemental food to the Vancouver Island Marmot — Canada's most endangered mammal.
The researchers are hoping to assess how the marmot's body weight affects its survival during hibernation and whether it increases the number of pups female marmots have.
Technicians at Vancouver Island University (VIU) have now developed a scale that can weigh the marmots remotely, a project they've been working on since 2022.
"Having reliable weight data is gold for the researcher," said VIU technician Michael Lester on CBC's All Points West.
"That will give them confidence that … supplemental feeding is actually working or not."
WATCH | A marmot gets weighed in the wild:
Previously, the researchers would capture marmots once or twice throughout the summer season to weigh them.
But having a remote scale allows marmot weight to be measured continuously throughout the season and is less stressful for the marmots than being captured and weighed.
Lester said the biggest challenge was building a scale that was lightweight enough to carry up a mountain but durable enough to withstand rugged conditions.
The scale they designed is about the size of a laptop with a plywood surface. The scales are placed in areas that marmots frequent.
In 2003, less than 30 of these marmots remained in the wild. The Marmot Recovery Foundation has been working to recover them since and recorded a population of over 300 in 2023.
The Vancouver Island marmot is a hearty animal, which has adapted to survive harsh conditions, according to the Marmot Recovery Foundation.
While it is not entirely known why marmots declined so rapidly, the organization says research suggests ongoing landscape changes as well as abnormally high levels of predators and fewer prey.
Seasonal weight gain is critical to their survival as they can lose up to one-third of their body mass during hibernation—which is why researchers believe accessing calorie and nutrient-dense biscuits right after hibernation could be beneficial.
Risk it for the biscuit
Adam Taylor, executive director of the foundation, says the marmots love the biscuits — which are made from pressed dry leaves and placed in feeding tubes outside of hibernation dens.
Taylor says their organization has noticed anecdotally the biscuits have had a positive impact on marmot health over the past 10 years that they have been providing them.
"We're seeing females breed more often than we expected them to," said Taylor.
But with the new scale technology, he hopes they will be able to concretely determine whether supplemental feeding is helping them.
WATCH | Curious marmot inspects the camera:
Taylor said Vancouver Island marmots are unique — they are endemic to Canada, meaning they don't exist anywhere else.
"This is what makes life on this planet special; it's the biodiversity that we have around us, and Vancouver island marmots are a part of that.
"If we don't save them, nobody will."
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With files from All Points West