Snow pig oil is mainly used to treat rheumatism, swelling and pain, damp-heat sores, skin ulcers, and body ringworm. Snow pig oil is the fat oil of the Himalayan marmot, a member of the squirrel family. The bones (snow pig bones) and meat (snow pig meat) of this animal are also used for medicinal purposes. It is found in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, Sichuan, Gansu, Yunnan, and other regions.
Image of snow pig oil
[What is snow pig oil?]
Snow pig oil, a traditional Chinese medicine, is the fat of Himalayan marmots, gray marmots, steppe marmots, and long-tailed marmots. It is usually curled up into a ball, and when stretched out, it is about 10-15 centimeters long and 1 centimeter thick. The best quality snow pig oil is large, thick, and pale yellow in color.
1. Himalayan marmot
Also known as groundhogs, dā cì bù huā, snow pigs, hā lā, snow pigs, tǎ ěr bā gàn, and large marmots. It is a large ground-dwelling squirrel. It is 46-58 cm long and weighs 3-6 kg. It has a thick and short neck and short and round ears.
The tail is flat and short, about 13 cm long, not more than twice the length of the hind legs. The limbs are strong, with the thumb of the front feet degenerated and the claws very small. The other four toes have long and curved claws, and the claws of the hind feet are shorter.
The side of the snout is light brown with black whiskers. The back of the nose has black or dark brown spots. There is a distinct black stripe above the eye socket. The top of the head is mixed with black and brown, and the sides to the base of the ears are pale yellow.
The back is a mix of brown and irregular black stripes, with the middle section of the hair being pale white and the tip being black. The throat, chest, abdomen, and limbs are all light yellow, and the underfur is all dark gray-black.
The buttocks are dark brown-yellow. The tail hair is similar in color to the body, but the tip is black. The color of young individuals is lighter than that of adults.
2. Gray marmot
Also known as Altai marmot. It is similar in size and shape to the Himalayan marmot, but the belly is darker and is a deep brown-yellow or earthy brown color. It is 46-54 cm long and weighs 4-6 kg. The ears are small and short.
The claws are short and thick. The tail is shorter, 13-15 cm long, less than 1/3 of the body length. The back is light yellow or sandy yellow, mixed with black or dark brown. The snout, cheeks, and under the ears are dark brown. The ears are sandy yellow. The tail is similar in color to the body, but the tip is black-brown.
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 legs. The back is light brown or light rust color, mixed with light white, and there is no black-brown color.
The forehead and top of the head are pure brown. The ears are light orange-yellow. The abdomen is 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 long, which is obviously more than twice the length of the hind legs. The ears are very small and barely visible. The fur is long and dense.
The whole body is orange-yellow or reddish-yellow, and the tips of the hair on the back are often dyed dark brown. The belly color is similar to the back color, but the brown is deeper, and there is no obvious boundary between the back and the belly. The tail end is black or reddish-brown.
[How is snow pig oil collected?]
It is best to capture snow pigs during their hibernation. Their burrows usually have multiple entrances, but only one entrance is left open during capture, and the rest are blocked. Then, sulfur, chili powder, or water is used to smoke or flush them out. At this time, the entrance is covered with a bag to capture them.
After capturing the snow pig, it is killed, skinned, the abdomen is opened to remove the internal organs, and the plate oil is taken out and placed into the snow pig's stomach. It is then hung up to dry in the wind.
