Marmots on the move? dispersal in a declining montane mammal

Olympic marmots (Marmota olympus) are large, burrowing rodents inhabiting scattered subalpine meadows on the Olympic Peninsula, Washington. Recently, the population has declined and become increasingly fragmented. The ability of Olympic marmots to recolonize abandoned habitat and to maintain gene flow among extant populations will depend on the number and success of dispersers and the distances that they travel. We monitored 84 radiotagged Olympic marmots to determine dispersal rates, distances, and success. Contrary to previous observations, 3-year-olds were most likely to disperse, although some 2-year-olds and even some older animals, particularly males, moved as well. Of marmots known to be still on their natal home range in the spring of a given year, 16% of 2-year-old males, 50% of 3-year-old males, 17% of 2-year-old females, and 29% of 3-year-old females subsequently dispersed. Dispersal rates for 3-year-olds were slightly lower when all animals were included in the analysis regardless of whether their dispersal history was known. Males dispersed farther than females (median = 984 m, n = 14 versus median = 267 m, n =13) and 69% of females settled within 500 m of their original home range. If the observed dispersal patterns are representative of range-wide patterns and if Olympic marmot densities remain low, successful dispersal may be too infrequent to sustain reliable recolonization of vacant habitats or even genetic or demographic rescue of isolated marmot groups.