Collection of Marmots

Collection of Marmots
of the Siberian Zoological Museum
(curator - E.I.Zholnerovskaya)

Siberian Zoological Museum is the largest depository of zoological materials in Asian part of Russia. The theriological collection is one of the 3 which have more than 100,000 samples of mammals. Collection of marmots consist of 1004 specimens unique by the way it’s specifics.

The main collection (737 specimens) concern to Marmota baibacina Kastschenko, 1899, in the main to the most interesting of the systematical plan altai-mongolian “knot” of marmots (602 specimens) from Kosh-Agachskyi district of the Altai Republic: 1932, 1933 - collection of E.M.Korzinkina, 1958-1962 - collector L.I.Galkina, 1985 - coll. E.I.Zholnerovskaya, and 1 specimens from Mongolia (Sailyugem range, 1980, coll. E.I.Zholnerovskaya). Well presented (118 specimens) is ecologically isolated M. b. kastschenkoi Stroganov et Judin, 1956 (Novosibirskaya region, 1931-1977, coll. L.I.Galkina and B.S.Yudin). The HOLOTYPE of this subspecies is keeping in the Siberian Zoological Museum. Most interesting are 13 skulls from the Southern Altai (1987, coll. V.K.Zinchenko). The two skulls from island population are unique (Tuva, Island on Khindiktig-Khol Lake, 1989, coll. E.I.Zholnerovskaya).

There are 111 specimens of Marmota bobak Muller, 1776. In the majority it is M. b. schaganensis Bazhanov, 1930 from Kazakhstan: Turgaiskaya region (1958, 4 skulls), Tselinogradskaya (now - Astana) region (80 specimens, including embryos, 1957, coll. L.I.Galkina; 1966, coll. S.V.Tomskikh). Well presented is M. b. kozlovi Fokanov, 1966 - 25 skulls from Uljanovskaya region, 1985, coll. E.I.Zholnerovskaya.

Marmota sibirica Radde, 1862 from the Museum are 134 specimens. Good presented M. s. sibirica Radde, 1862: 4 skulls from Buryatia (1972, 1973, coll. Ts.Z.Dozhiev), 66 skulls from Chitinskaya region (different years, since 1929 - coll. P.Yakishov, to 1957 - coll. B.I.Peshkov, S.V.Tomskihk). M. sibirica from Tuva (33 specimens) concern apparently to M. s. caliginosus Bannikov et Skalon, 1949 (1945, 1947, coll. A.I.Yanushevich; 1965, coll. N.D.Ovodov; 1976, coll. V.V.Suntsov). Be of the special importance in my view has series of skulls (31 specimens) from Mongolia (Khangai range, 1977, coll. Yu.G.Shvetsov; Khenteiskyi district, 1980, coll. E.I.Zholnerovskaya).

There are 11 skulls of Marmota caudata Geoffroy, 1842 from Tadjikistan: Leninabadskaya (now - Khodzhent) region, 1952, coll. V.I.Chernyshov, 1959, coll. L.I.Lindt, and Mountain Badakhshan - 1972, coll. R.A.Potapkina.

Marmota camtschatica Pallas, 1811 (7 specimens) concern to the M. c. doppelmayeri Birula, 1922 (Buryatia, 1975, coll. Yu.G.Shvetsov; 1990, coll. E.I.Zholnerovskaya) and M. c. camtschatica Pallas, 1811 (Kamchatka, Sredinnyi range, 1990, coll. V.A.Tokarsky).

Three specimens of Marmota menzbieri Kaschkarov, 1925 are in the collection obtain from Kirghizstan, Chatkalsky range, 1991, coll. E.I.Zholnerovskaya.

You can see also Marmota marmota Linnaeus, 1758 (1 skin with skull, 1922, coll. S.Jager) and nearctic Marmota flaviventris Audubon et Bachman, 1841 (1 skull, 1979, coll. C.F.Nadler) received by exchange.

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