Daniel Blumstein, a professor at UCLA, has studied marmots at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL) in Colorado for 25 years. He has never seen funding cuts this severe.
For years, the National Science Foundation (NSF) largely funded the lab. But since 2017, NSF grants have been cut by over $700 million. After three failed attempts to renew his grant, Blumstein and his team looked for new ways to raise money.
OnlyMarms and Fat Marmot Week
Their first step was creating "OnlyMarms," a G-rated OnlyFans account for their yellow-bellied marmots. This creative idea gained global attention.
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Start Your News DetoxTo keep the momentum going, RMBL launched the first-ever "Fat Marmot Week." This online contest is similar to Alaska's annual "Fat Bear Week."
RMBL researchers explained that marmots are the largest true hibernators. They bulk up all summer to survive winter. "Fat Marmot Week is a chance to get people excited about yellow-bellied marmots," they said. It also shares the science behind their weight gain.
Tracking the Marmots
Scientists at RMBL use non-toxic fur dye to paint unique shapes on the marmots' backs. These marks give them their names. They also add small, numbered metal ear tags, which they call "earrings."
These methods help researchers monitor and analyze the marmots' behaviors and relationships. The project has collected 58 years of data. This makes it one of the world’s longest studies of free-living mammals, second only to Jane Goodall’s chimpanzee research.
Meet the Contenders
Voting for Fat Marmot Week begins on August 24. You can learn about the contenders now: Dan’s Hat, Open Kite, and Citroen.
Open Kite
Researchers call Open Kite a "girl boss who runs the RMBL townsite!" She didn't have a mate, so she put all her energy into taking care of herself. While proud of her weight gain, she has not yet weighed in for the contest.
Dan’s Hat
Dan’s Hat is described as the "cool aunt" from Stonehenge’s matriline. Matrilines are groups where adult females let their daughters stay in their social group. She didn't breed this year. Researchers noted that a badger ate all her nieces and nephews.
Citroen
Citroen is a new addition to the RMBL marmot family, first seen in late May. He is Open Kite’s new mate and has taken his role as a stepfather to last year's pups very seriously. Researchers are excited to see how chunky he can get.
