Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Inspect for Hitchhikers

A Yellow-bellied Marmot hitched a ride to So. Cal. Now, just WHY would it leave it's safe haven for a jumbled mass of humanity that has 'over-loved' a once desirable place on the planet.
Go here;
http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2...p;zIndex=122868
for the details................steve

Thank you for posting this...This is my worst nightmare!!that I may get a furry creature in my car and drive off with her or him. I always check my car really good to make sure no animals have crawled anywhere, always bang on your car,open the hood and inspect underneath, check your wheel hubs.. take the time to check to make sure.. it only takes a few minutes to do so before you take off from the TH.

I sure hope Fish and Game return this beautiful Marmot back home ASAP.....they may be monitoring him or her to make sure the health is okay.
Thank you again

Yes, them critters like to snuggle next to the exhaust manifold of a warm engine on a chilly night.

Yes, check under your hood especially.

Open slowly. A startled animal may bite.

Last month I went for a hike out of Mineral King, and when I came back to my car I found one sitting between my engine and the firewall. And I had put a very well anchored chicken wire fence around my car, too, but those marmots at Mineral King are especially tricky.

Lamb., good thing you set deterrents, AND inspected. The little critters are fond of your car's antifreeze solution (EthyleneGlycol), of course it WILL KILL them. I have noticed in the parts stores a brand of coolant that touts being animal friendly. Always inspect your engine bay, especially the radiator and heater hoses, after coming back from a hike/trek/overnighter/etc. If you have been away long enough, most evidence of puddling coolant that leaked out of chewed hoses, will have dissipated............steve
p.s., I usually carry extra hoses, hose clamps, coolant, oil, serpentine belt, etc., you have to buy them sometime!!

This one didn't get quite that far: http://books.google.com/books?id=R6mcvAN...lt&resnum=3