Sorry for the late response Cathy, still working through problems with the computer crash. Best I can determine is that it is a Marmot. I've been back a few more times and have seen it each time.

But to be honest this just does not fit. It's a small burrow with no dirt mound at all which is not typical. Plus it's in a flat open waterland area not hilly country like you normally find marmots in. I only see one hole and it's about 6" across which is small for a marmot. Still haven't got a good look at it's tail though and that may help some.

Thanks Jim, I am very interested in whatever your find out.

Who knows, maybe it's just a unique individual (the bump on the nose almost looks like. . .well, a bump on the nose due to an injury?) or perhaps it's an undescribed species (now THAT would be cool -- we could name it Marmota jamesdaki!)

Yeah the bump on the nose throws me. It also makes me think of a horse we had when I was growing up. She had a large csyst in one notstril that gave it a bulge not unlike what I see in the animal.

The bump on the nose tells me that it is some kind of ground squirrel. It almost looks like a Columbian Ground Squirrel.

To big and rounded to be a Columbian Ground Squirrel. I shoot plenty of these guys when I get north to Tony's neck of the woods.






I emailed some shots to a Natural History Museum and am just waiting to hear back from them.

Ok, the "mystery" is solved. It is indeed a Marmot. They seem to have invaded the area this year for some reason. I've now found at least 4 different dens and animals. Even the original one I questioned has changed a bit. The bulge on the head is gone and the bare nose now has fur on it like normally expected. Maybe what threw me off were injuries from a scrape or just normal "wear and tear" from it digging a burrow. I've confirmed this with the local natural history museum.

On a happy side note. I've not seen the foxes yet but I've found an active den with a whole lot of bird pieces around it. Hopefully I can get some pictures of them before the refuge personnel trap the foxes.