A cute one for #MarmotMonday.

This marmot pup was a bit distraught when its mother headed down the mountain and out of sight. It popped tall, trying to spot her then began calling to her. Mama was in no rush to return though and this pup and its siblings ended up navigating the boulder field down the mountain to get to her.

This was taken on a beautiful August morning at 14,000 feet. No doubt this same spot is buried under several feet of snow right now and it will be a few months or more before the snow is cleared and I am able to return.

Happy Groundhog Day! Punxsutawney Phil has nothing on this handsome dude from the Colorado high country. Yeah, Dave may not get all the press about shadows and spring versus winter but he brings that western attitude and lives in far less hospitable environs above timberline than his flatland cousin.

I met Dave this past summer on Mount Evans and he was a rather cheeky fellow, guarding his territory and giving me some pretty fun poses and looks like this one. I look forward to visiting with him and his family again here in a few months.

His cousin Phil saw his shadow this morning so we supposedly have six more weeks of winter. It will take longer than that to clear the snow from Dave’s place though. 😉

Look at this cutie! Not only is it absolutely precious, it has some unusual coloring. All of the other marmot pups I have seen were a red / brown color. This one, however, is more of gray / black dominant.

No matter the color, it was one of the most fun marmot pups I got to watch recently as it was quite curious about me. Initially it popped up over the rock as seen here but the, much to my surprise, hopped much closer. Only when I moved did it run back to a safer spot. I was glad cause I was beginning to get worried it was going to run up my pant leg.  😀

It is a little tough to tell exactly what is going on just by viewing the pics but it was quite a little battle. I’ve seen marmots “play fight” as part of their mating rituals but I have never seen them truly go head-to-head in a real fight – until this day.

The larger marmot had gathered up some alpine grass and had left it on a rock the marmot was sitting on. A second, smaller marmot apparently wanted some of the meal / bedding but the first was not in the mood to share.

When the second marmot approached, the first latched onto the intruder’s head with its teeth! Immediately a screaming sound ripped through the silence at 14,000 feet as the smaller marmot tried to escape the larger one’s grasp.

It began back-pedaling, trying desperately to get away as the defender held on to its head. Finally, the smaller marmot broke free and, needless to say, quickly scampered

One for Marmot Monday. Certainly summertime temperatures at 14,000 feet of 42 degrees are mild compared to what these guys endure in the winter. Nevertheless, they do seem to enjoy the relative warmth, oftentimes just hanging out and seeming to sunbathe on the rocks. This guy had a nice spot to perch, high on a boulder with stunning views of the Mount Evans Wilderness all around.

That look! Almost looks like the little rodent is about to hatch some sort of plan to take over the world or raise a bit ruckus of some kind. 😉

This past weekend I photographed a number of these high-country residents. Sometimes they don’t seem particularly active but you just have to be patient and wait. Inevitably, they will do something and it usually is amusing – such was the case with this look.

Have a great weekend and, unlike this guy, stay out of trouble.

When in South Dakota last week, we went to the Mount Coolidge Lookout and Fire Tower in Custer State Park. It is a very cool spot to see the beautiful expanse of the Black Hills. As we were driving back down, I turned a corner and saw something dart across the road.

That of course required investigation and we found this cute marmot. It was, however, very shy, ducking down into its burrow the second it saw us. We waited and after a few minutes, it popped out but again, on seeing us headed for safety. This happened five or six times, only giving us fleeting glimpses, this image being about the best I could do of it.

Harkening back to the 4th of July and a visit to Mount Evans, Colorado.

At the time this picture was taken, I was largely focused on mountain goats but this little guy / gal was not to be ignored. It appeared to have been taught some bad habits by visiting humans.

Normally yellow-bellied marmots aren’t ones to get very close but this one had no fear and came right up to within a few feet of me. It definitely seemed to be begging for a handout.

Given its close proximity, I of course had to take some pics – while also ensuring the furry thing didn’t crawl up my pant leg.

In fact, if you look in that eye you can see a reflection of your intrepid, fearless photographer. 😉 

Taken a couple of weeks ago in Grand Teton National Park. I was, primarily, looking for far bigger creatures to photograph when I spotted this little one standing tall on a rock. It of course quickly became cautious when it came time for pictures but allowed me a very nice portrait.