It’s May! It’s spring! I know this to be true because the marmot season has officially begun in Bermtopia.
I saw my first herd/gaggle/pride/posse of marmots yesterday. (Actually, they live in colonies.)
And WHAT is a marmot? you may be asking. Aside from being the unofficial Rodent of Bermtopia, they are kind of like the Cousin Eddie of the squirrel family.
They spend most all of their time on the ground stuffing their adorable little pie holes with grass and sunning themselves on rocks. That pretty much sums up the life of a Bermtopian marmot. (Note to self: In my next life, come back as a Bermtopian marmot.
And a couple of other fun facts about marmots?
A quick skim of Wikipedia reveals the people of Mongolia have incorporated marmot into their native cuisine for centuries.
A particularly favorite Mongolian marmot dish is called boodog. I most thoughtfully include the recipe in case you would like to try this delicacy at home this weekend. All you need is a marmot, onion, a few rocks and a blow torch.
Nummmmmmmm. Marmot. The other white meat.
Man-marmots are polygamous! Once again, according to the all-knowing Wikipedia, our little furry Lothario digs “a burrow soon after he wakes up from hibernation. He then starts looking for females, and by summer may have up to four female mates living with him.” That largely explains why marmots seem to vanish around the beginning of June.
L'amour toujours!
Which, by the way, looks like it will finally arrive just in time for the 4th of July.
OMG such great reading. a good day to start your day!
ReplyDeleteFor the record, I hate Google Reader, for it never showed me this post, which is why I am only here today, accidently, from another blogroll. :(
ReplyDeleteNow that that's done, what cute little guy/girl, of whom I could never partake for lunch! Ew.
We have similar looking groundhogs/gophers/woodchucks. They like to hang out and eat grass on the sides of roads. I wouldn't say they mark the spring season, though. That's what bunnies are for out here. (Similar reproductive practices, though.)
I hope temps are warming up a little. :)