A retrospective analysis of the Vancouver Island marmot (Marmota vancouverensis) conservation breeding and release program: Conservation physiology and hibernation

Abstract

The Vancouver Island marmot (Marmota vancouverensis) is an endangered mammal whose population is being recovered with a conservation breeding and release program. This involves management both in and ex situ, so it is vital to understand how the different environments are affecting the populations to maximize program outcomes. The purpose of this thesis was to retrospectively analyze data collected from this program to address questions relevant to population recovery. The first chapter compared the physiology of the managed populations using the neutrophil: lymphocyte ratio and found significant differences in this metric among targeted comparisons. The second chapter assessed factors that may be contributing to hibernation-related mortality of marmots during their first winter post-release. I found a combination of environmental and intrinsic factors influencing this mortality. Overall, this thesis contributes to a growing body of literature surrounding the efficacy of conservation breeding and release programs to recover critically endangered species.