Snow pig oil is the fat of the squirrel family animals, including Himalayan marmots, gray marmots, steppe marmots, and long-tailed marmots. It has the effects of dispelling wind, removing dampness, detoxifying, and relieving itching. Let's learn about the efficacy and function of snow pig oil and the growth habits of Himalayan marmots.
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[Efficacy and Function of Snow Pig Oil]
Traditional Chinese medicine believes that snow pig oil has the effects of dispelling wind, removing dampness, detoxifying, and relieving itching. It is used to treat rheumatism, swelling and pain, damp heat ulcers, skin ulcers, and body ringworm.
1. "Handbook of Tibetan Herbal Medicine": "Treats rheumatism, itching, ulcers, and long-lasting abscesses."
2. "Sichuan Materia Medica": "Dispels wind and treats ulcers. Treats itchy foot ulcers, rheumatism, long-lasting abscesses, and damp heat ulcers."
3. "Chinese Medicinal Animals": "It has the effects of dispelling wind, removing dampness, and detoxifying. It is used to treat rheumatism, swelling and pain, skin ulcers, and damp heat ulcers."
4. "Yi Medicine Animal Medicine": "Treats rheumatism pain and limb spasm. It warms the meridians, dispels cold, removes dampness, promotes blood circulation, reduces swelling, and relieves pain."
The bones (snow pig bones) and meat (snow pig meat) of marmots are also used for medicinal purposes.
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[Habitat Distribution of Marmots]
Himalayan marmots are large terrestrial rodents that inhabit alpine meadows at altitudes of 2500-4000 meters. They live on sunny slopes, slopes, and valleys in alpine meadows, as well as hills and mountainous areas. The foothills and the lower edge of the mountainous sunny slopes are high-density areas with a large number of marmots.
Marmots are social animals and live in family groups. Their burrows have a family structure, including main burrows (winter burrows), secondary burrows (summer burrows), and temporary burrows (escape burrows). The burrow groups of the same family are connected by tunnels, and the adjacent burrow groups of different families are also connected by tunnels. They are sensitive and have well-developed vision and hearing. When startled, they stand upright and emit sharp alarm calls.
The time they come out of the burrow in the morning varies with the season. In early spring and after autumn, they come out of the burrow when the sun shines on the entrance. After coming out, they lie in the sun at the entrance, then make calls. At this time, nearby marmots also respond with calls, and then they start to forage.
They have two peaks of activity during the day, one around 10 am and the other around 4 pm. They enter the burrow before the sun sets. They are not active at night.
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[Growth Habits of Marmots]
Himalayan marmots generally move by crawling and have hibernation habits. Several generations of the same family hibernate together, and they come out of hibernation in late spring. Shortly after coming out of hibernation, they enter the mating period and give birth in the summer, with an average litter size of 46.
Marmot burrows are densely distributed in the lower part of the hillside and the foothills. In areas where human impact (such as hunting and cultivation) is not significant, these burrow groups rarely or never become abandoned. In case of abandonment (death), individuals from nearby marmot groups migrate to replenish the abandoned burrow.
Marmots mainly feed on dewgrass, tender branches, or grass roots. They mostly feed on plants from the Cyperaceae and Poaceae families, occasionally feeding on insects and some small rodents. In agricultural areas, they sometimes steal seedlings, stems, and leaves of barley, oats, potatoes, rapeseed, etc.
The medicinal value of Himalayan marmots includes using the skull to treat edema, using the meat to dispel cold, using the gallbladder in combination with bear gallbladder to treat fractures, using the gallbladder bile to relieve intoxication, using the fur to treat injuries, using the fat to dispel cold and reduce swelling, and using the canine teeth to treat fractures.
