With summer in full swing, many of us are exploring new and familiar trails. As we ascend toward mountain peaks, our ears might catch unfamiliar chirping or squeaking sounds. These curious sounds suggest the presence of some of the most popular alpine mammals: Yellow-bellied Marmots and American Pikas. These little furballs scurry across scree fields and live in colonies beneath the rocks with others of their kind, at or above the treeline. Marmots are about three times the size of pikas and, in my experience, easier to spot. Often heard before they are seen, both animals use alarm calls to alert their community about possible predators. However, their voices have some notable differences.
Yellow-bellied marmots (Marmota flaviventris) are often seen basking on rocks above 6,500 feet. Despite their seemingly lazy demeanor, they share guard duty within their colonies. When marmots sense potential danger, they call out to alert the rest of their colony, called a “madness”, using a short chirp resembling a high-pitched whistle that typically lasts about half a second. Whistles become more frequent when predators approach, including canids like wolves, coyotes, or foxes. In extreme cases, like if being chased by a predator, a marmot will produce a fast trill, or a series of rapid chirps, to indicate a higher degree of perceived risk. Marmots have no known dialects, so they sound the same wherever you find them, whether it’s the Colorado mountains or even the mountains in Canada. In more human-populated areas like hiking trails, some marmots may become comfortable with people nearby and assume that we are a reliable food source. We must remember never to feed wildlife. Marmots, however, do not get used to pet dogs. As part of the Canidae family, my goldendoodle consistently scares them into calling.
The American pika (Ochotona princeps) is recognized for its high-pitched "eeps" and "peeps”. When a threat is detected, the pika emits a short, lower-pitched call that lasts slightly longer than the marmot’s chirp. It’s like the squeak from a dog toy. As a predator gets closer, the pika's alarm calls increase in frequency. While pikas live near one another for protection, they are particular about their personal space and use their calls to establish territorial boundaries with neighboring pikas. Living at altitudes above 11,000 feet, pikas have developed calls that can travel long distances through windy and rocky terrain. To attract potential mates from far away, pikas produce longer calls made up of a series of short calls to advertise their territory. They also engage in duets of short calls to maintain social bonds within mating pairs.
If you’re searching for a marmot or pika on a hike, your ears are the best tool to use. Both mammals’ fur is adapted to camouflage and blend into their rocky surroundings, making it hard to track them down. So, the next time you venture into the alpine, keep an ear out for those squeaks and chirps to rediscover these beloved mountain yippers.
Elizabeth Scanlon is a naturalist at Walking Mountains and enjoys finding small mammals at high altitudes.