Short-tailed Weasels are really very small. Other than size, they look virtually the same as the long-tailed weasel. In my experience, Long-tailed Weasels are much more common in the Puget Sound lowlands.

I don't think anyone ever came up with a fact-based explanation for the Yellow-bellied Marmot at Discovery Park. I was amazed to hear of another marmot at Riverfront Landing. Natural range expansion just doesn't appear to be plausible, too much vacant, unhospitable land in-between their occupied range and the Puget Sound region. I suppose it's more plausible that a natural expansion of range could occur if more than one was translocated to the Puget Sound area.

Kelly McAllister
Olympia, Washington
----- Original Message -----
From: Brenda Burnett
To: tweeters at u.washington.edu
Sent: Saturday, July 11, 2009 12:29 PM
Subject: [Tweeters] Marten (?) at Discovery Park



This morning my husband and I walked Discovery Park. On the paved trail south of the lighthouse a small marten-like animal fled from us. The chickadees were sounding the alarm. The animal was reddish brown in color, and had a long tail, but it was overall fairly small (1.5-2 feet in length, maybe). This was in the same area where the golden marmot was seen last year. Would a marten be down in the beach area? I don't know much about them.

Brenda Burnett
Seattle
beaknbird at hotmail dot com




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