Yellow-bellied Marmot raspberry – Nikon D300, f8, 1/640, ISO 640, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light
While processing some of the images I had taken this past summer to register with the U.S. Copyright Office I happened to come across a series of Yellow-belied Marmot photos I had taken in June while on a camping/photography trip to Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in southwestern Montana.
The Yellow-bellied Marmot was very close to the edge of the road so I took a few full body images but there were out of focus grasses in the foreground that obscured some of the fur on the belly of the marmot.
Looking at this file closer I saw the marmot’s tongue sticking out so I cropped this file a bit more than I would normally to have a portrait of this furry critter. I know the marmot wasn’t giving me the raspberry but it sure looks like it was.
The Yellow-bellied Marmots are already in their burrows for the winter but with any luck I will see more this coming spring.
Life is good.
Mia
Click here to see more of my Yellow-bellied Marmot photos plus facts and information about this species.
I love this little guy! Thanks for photographing him … and his tongue is cute, too!
Wonderful photo … It’s great to see the fur patterns so distinctly. Your photo almost made me forget the groundhog I have that burrowed under my place last fall before I realized it was there. We are sort of overrun with them around here… and they engender a bit of frustration since gardens are impossible…and the threat of foundations giving way to their many tunnels makes it an uneasy relationship. I’d give my eye teeth to learn about something I might be able to put around my foundation that might make them inclined to look elsewhere for a tunnel… Every year I try something else… and every year the groundhog wins!
But your photo is so fascinating it helps me have another perspective beyond frustration for these critters.
I am with patty. He IS giving you, and us, the raspberry. And looking very cute with it.
Fun shot and isn’t it cool to come across some of the hidden treasure shots!
How do you know he wasn’t giving you the raspberry? It sure looks like it. Great shot, anyway….
Ha! Pretty cute critter. Nice photo, Mia!