Scientists are spending this summer researching why the local population of yellow-bellied marmots -- those gregarious, burrowing rodents ubiquitous near the Spokane River -- are not only surviving but thriving in the urban areas of Spokane. Most research exploring patterns of species survival has focused on birds; little is known about the physiological mechanisms that allow mammals to survive in urban environments.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/08/140807104311.htm