| Natal burrow selection is an important decision for ground-dwelling squirrels, as burrows provide shelter from abiotic conditions such as inclement weather, and biotic conditions such as predators. If conditions surrounding a natal burrow become risky or unsuitable, squirrels are known to move their litters to a different burrow. For example, squirrels may translocate their litters when faced with the threat of infanticide, predation, or parasite infestation. However, detailed accounts of litter translocation events are uncommon due to the infeasibility of predicting when and where translocations will take place. Furthermore, factors contributing to litter translocations likely differ among species that vary in life history characteristics such as sociality. We provide the first documentation of natal burrow translocation by a female yellow-bellied marmot (Marmota flaviventris), at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory in Gothic, Colorado, and we draw on 30 years of unpublished records of litter translocations in this study system to better understand the causes and consequences of litter translocations in this species.
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