Marmot (Marmota marmota)
marmotton, below Crete de Gilly, Queyras (3 photos above)
path to Refuge de Carro, Vanoise PN, Savoie (two photos)
below Col de la Bonette, Mercantour PN, Alpes Maritimes
Marmots are ground-dwelling cousins of squirrels and the iconic mammal of pastures in the Alps. Their distinctive high-pitched calls form part of the characteristic soundscape of mountain valleys and are one of my favourite memories of hikes there.
Marmots live in family groups and are robust creatures, foraging in the open to eat flowers and other vegetation. They always remain within sprinting distance of a burrow entrance and adults are quite hard to approach unless they are habituated to humans. Youngsters (called marmottons in French) are much easier to approach and can be seen in July and August when they gain confidence to explore their surroundings.
path to Refuge de Carro, Vanoise PN, Savoie
Marmots live in family groups and are robust creatures, foraging in the open to eat flowers and other vegetation. They always remain within sprinting distance of a burrow entrance and adults are quite hard to approach unless they are habituated to humans. Youngsters (called marmottons in French) are much easier to approach and can be seen in July and August when they gain confidence to explore their surroundings.
path to Refuge de Carro, Vanoise PN, Savoie
Alpine Ibex (Capra ibex)
Val Gordolasque, Mercantour PN, Alpes Maritimes
The Alpine Ibex represents a success storyin European conservation: in the last hundred years, this handsome wild goat has been rescued from the brink of extinction and is now a frequent sight in some parts of the French Alps.
This species is larger than the more common Chamois and lacks the distinctive black facial stripes. Alpine Ibex have short, curved horns with prominent ridges. Their underparts are pale with a black, irregular border.
Like goats the world over, they a flock animals, invariably seen with others of their species.
This species is larger than the more common Chamois and lacks the distinctive black facial stripes. Alpine Ibex have short, curved horns with prominent ridges. Their underparts are pale with a black, irregular border.
Like goats the world over, they a flock animals, invariably seen with others of their species.