Swiss marmots and humans share a tendency to communicate in local dialect.
Keystone / Dominic Steinmann
Swiss-German speakers are known to converse in distinctive regional dialects, but the phenomenon has now been found to extend to marmots – a rodent commonly found in alpine regions.
This content was published on
1 minute
swissinfo.ch/mga
Português
pt
Marmotas suíças se comunicam em dialetos regionais
A study of different marmot groups in cantons Bern and Graubünden found that their warning signals were unique to each area.
Their whistles are delivered with different frequencies, duration and sequences, according to research. Marmots in Graubünden’s Münsterthal region, in southeastern Switzerland, are more talkative than their cousins in the central canton of Bern.
The topography of each environment may explain the different dialects, explains researcher Sarah Marmorosch. Münsterthal has a hillier landscape, which creates stronger winds.
“It’s possible that the Graubünden marmots had to adapt their calls to their windier, and therefore louder, environment,” she told public broadcaster SRF.
But Marmorosch also speculates that the dialects may have genetic reasons or that repeated call mistakes by individuals have been learned by youngsters and handed down generations.
Further research is planned to pinpoint the actual reasons behind the local marmot dialects.
Marmots are a type of ground squirrel that can be found in Europe, Asia and North America.
Popular Stories
More
Swiss Abroad
Switzerland’s priciest street makes room for a bakery shop
Should raw milk sales be banned or should consumers decide?
Swiss food regulations do not allow raw milk to be sold for direct consumption. However, a loophole allows 400 raw milk vending machines to do just that.
Is artificial intelligence an advantage or a disadvantage for workers?
What is your experience with AI at work? Have you already used it? Has it helped you work better? Or has it caused you more stress, more work or caused you to lose your job? Tell us about your experiences!
Austrian right-wing extremist arrested by Swiss police
This content was published on
The Austrian right-wing extremist Martin Sellner entered Switzerland on Saturday despite being banned from entering the country.
All Swiss listed companies have a climate strategy
This content was published on
All major listed Swiss companies have a climate strategy. This puts Switzerland ahead of neighbouring Germany and Austria, says a study by Kirchhoff Consult and BDO.
Local birds are stars of this year’s Bern light show
This content was published on
The Rendez-vous Bundesplatz light show enters a new round on Saturday. This year, birds will be chirping, squawking and fluttering all over the façade of the federal parliament.
EU urges countries to keep demining in Ukraine permanently on the agenda
This content was published on
The Lausanne Ministerial Conference on Humanitarian Demining in Ukraine led to pledges from more than 40 countries to help the war-torn country.
This content was published on
Researchers at the University of Zurich have used artificial intelligence to detect antibiotic-resistant germs for the first time.
‘Marmot plague’ traps around ten Swiss tourists in Mongolia
This content was published on
The death of two people from plague caused by consumption of marmot meat has obliged the Mongolian authorities to quarantine 158 tourists.
This content was published on
Marmots from around the world are being brought together in a unique experiment aimed at increasing understanding of the rodents. By the end of September there will be around 32 marmots from seven different species living in “Marmot Paradise” on the summit of Rochers-de-Naye (2,300m), which towers over the lakeside town of Montreux. The project…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.