CRESTED BUTTE, Colo. — For the first time, researchers in Colorado are going to name the fattest marmot in Crested Butte ahead of winter.
The Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory's Marmot Project is launching a Fat Marmot Week starting on Monday, Aug. 24. Researchers are inviting the public to join in the voting for a tournament-style competition.
The goal is to get people excited about one of Colorado’s alpine residents by highlighting the transformation yellow-bellied marmots undergo each summer. The animals feed almost constantly on grasses and wildflowers, roughly doubling their body weight in preparation for about five months of hibernation.
You can read more about each marmot living in Crested Butte and vote for your favorites online.
The final voting will happen on Aug. 28, with the chunky champion being crowned on Aug. 29.
The RMBL Marmot Project was established in 1962 at RMBL's campus outside Crested Butte, Colorado. It is one of the world's longest-running studies of individually marked wild mammals. Decades of research have helped scientists better understand yellow-bellied marmots' behavior, social relationships, and survival in alpine ecosystems. You can learn more at on their website.
