Animals

The marmots are a genus, Marmota, of squirrels. There are 14 species in this genus.
Marmots are generally large ground squirrels.

Those most often referred to as marmots tend to live in mountainous areas such as the Alps, northern Apennine Mountains, Eurasian steppes, Carpathians, Tatra, and Pyrenees in Europe, the Rockies, the Black Hills, the Cascade Mountains, and the Sierra Nevada in North America, Deosai plateau in Pakistan, and Ladakh in India.

The groundhog, however, is also properly called a marmot, while the similarly-sized but more social prairie dog is not classified in the genus Marmota but in the related genus Cynomys.
The marmot is a large animal this is silver-grey above with a brownish rump and whitish belly. Distinct black and white marks are on the head and shoulders.

The tail of the marmot is large, reddish-brown and bushy. Average weight is 8-20 pounds.
Marmots feed almost entirely on greens. In May, 4-5 young are born. When in danger this animal gives off a shrill, piercing “Eeeeeee” alarm hence the nickname “whistler”. Many carnivores prey on marmots; bears may dig up marmot that are still hibernating in the early spring.