Snow pig oil is the fat oil of the Himalayan marmot, a squirrel family animal. The bones (snow pig bones) and meat (snow pig meat) of this animal are also used medicinally. It is distributed in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, Sichuan, Gansu, Yunnan and other places. Medicinal materials are produced in Sichuan, Qinghai and other places. Is snow pig oil the same as Gongga snow pig oil?
Image of snow pig oil
What is snow pig oil?
Snow pig oil, a traditional Chinese medicine, is the fat of the Himalayan marmot, gray marmot, steppe marmot, and long-tailed marmot. It is usually curled into a mass, and when stretched out, it is about 10-15 centimeters long and 1 centimeter thick. The best quality is large, thick, and white-yellow in color.
1. Himalayan Marmot
Also known as marmot, no flowers, snow pig, Hala, snow pig, Tarbagan, large marmot. It is a large ground squirrel. It is 46-58 cm long and weighs 3-6 kg. The neck is short and thick. The earlobe is short and round.
The tail is flat and short, about 13 cm long, not more than twice the length of the hind foot. The limbs are stout, the thumb of the forelimb is degenerated, and the claws are very small. The other 4 toes have long and curved claws, and the claws of the hind toes are shorter.
The side of the nose is light brown with black whiskers. There are black or dark brown spots on the back of the nose. There is a clear black stripe above the eye socket. The top of the head is a mixture of black and brown, and the sides to the base of the ear are pale yellow.
The back is a mixture of brown and irregular black stripes, and the middle section of the needle hair is pale white with a black tip. The throat, chest, abdomen, and limbs are all light yellow, and the base hair is all dark gray.
The buttocks are dark brownish-yellow. The tail hair is similar in color to the body, but the tip is black. The color of the young is lighter than that of the adult.
2. Gray Marmot
Also known as Altai marmot. It is similar in size and morphology to the Himalayan marmot, but the ventral surface is dark and deep, and it is dark brownish-yellow or earthy brown in color. It is 46-54 cm long and weighs 4-6 kg. The ears are small and short.
The paws are short and thick. The tail is short, 13-15 cm long, less than 1/3 of the body length. The back of the body is light yellow or sandy yellow, mixed with black or brown-black. The snout, cheeks, and lower ears are dark brown. The ears are sandy yellow. The tail is similar in color to the body, but the tip of the tail is black-brown.
Image of snow pig oil
3. Steppe Marmot
It is small in size, about 36-49 cm long and weighs 3-4 kg. The tail is 11-12 cm long, about twice the length of the hind foot. The back of the body is light brown or light rust color, mixed with light white, without any black-brown color.
The forehead and top of the head are pure brown. The ears are light orange-yellow. The abdomen is brownish-brown, and the base of the hair is dark brown. The tail is dark brown, with a rusty brown tip.
4. Long-tailed Marmot
It is a large marmot. It is 47-50 cm long and weighs 4-5 kg. The tail is longer, 18.5-22 cm, significantly more than twice the length of the hind foot. The ears are very small and barely visible. The fur is long and dense.
The whole body is orange-yellow or reddish-yellow, with the tips of the fur often dyed dark brown. The ventral color is similar to the dorsal color, but the brown color is deeper, and there is no obvious boundary between the back and abdomen. The tail tip is black or reddish-brown.
How is snow pig oil harvested?
It is best to capture it when the snow pig is hibernating. They usually have multiple burrows, but when capturing, only one entrance is left open and the rest are blocked. Then sulfur, chili powder, or water is used to smoke or wash them out. At this time, the entrance is covered with a sack and they can be captured.
After capturing the snow pig, it is killed, skinned, the abdomen is opened to remove the internal organs, and the fat is taken out and placed in the stomach of the snow pig. It is then hung up to dry.
Is snow pig oil the same as Gongga snow pig oil?
Snow pig oil is mainly used for rheumatism, swelling and pain, damp-heat sores, skin ulcers, and tinea. Gongga snow pig oil is suitable for various skin diseases and chapped frostbite.
Gongga snow pig oil helps improve the skin texture of affected areas, clears heat and dampness, relieves itching and swelling, and soothes pain to some extent, solving various skin problems; moisturizes the skin, retains moisture.
In addition to external use, snow pig oil can also be ingested by soaking it in alcohol. For example, when treating rheumatism and pain, snow pig oil can be mixed with white wine and taken orally. Gongga snow pig oil is for external use only and should not be ingested. Gongga snow pig oil should also avoid contact with the eyes and other mucous membranes, such as the mouth and nose.
