How do marmots live

Marmots are rodents, closely related to both ground squirrels and prairie dogs. The only US holiday named after an animal, Groundhog Day, is named after a marmot. Yellow-bellied marmots hibernate in burrows during the winter Yellow-bellied marmots are herbivores. Yellow-bellied Marmot photo by Natures Pics. Marmota flaviventris Information - Animal Diversity Web. Marmot Lore - the lighter side of marmots. Yellow-bellied Marmot Alarm Calling Factsheet. More photos: Yellow-bellied Marmot Photos.

Marmota marmota -- alpine marmot. Marmota menzbieri -- Menzbier's marmot. Marmota sibirica -- tarvaga, tarbagan or Mongolian marmot. Marmota broweri -- Alaska, Brower's or Brooks Range marmot. Marmota caligata -- hoary marmot. To live in a subterranean, or belowground, world, one must be specially built for survival. Marmots prefer open habitat that gives them the opportunity to spot predators at a distance, and run for cover. They frequently live in mountainous regions, forest edges, meadows, and tundra.

Marmots take advantage of rocks to search for predators, using the higher vantage point to spot danger from farther away. Different species of marmots can be found in different habitats and countries. In Eurasia, marmot species can be spotted anywhere from northern Asia and the Himalayans to the European Alps. Marmots are vegetarian, and feed mostly on grasses. Because grass is typically low in nutritional value, marmots must feed almost constantly to store enough fat for the winter.

Marmots and humans are generally harmonious. We have not historically over-exploited them for meat or fur, nor have we destroyed their habitats to the extent of other species. Marmots are rather slow, waddling animals, and they do not like to venture very far from the protection of their burrows and dens.

Marmots can climb rock faces and piles quite well. The pelage of marmots is short but thick, and is commonly brown or blackish colored. Marmots often sit up on their haunches, and in this position they survey their domain for dangerous predators. Marmots are rather vocal animals, emitting loud, harsh squeaks and squeals as warnings whenever they perceive a potential predator to be nearby. As soon as any marmot hears the squeak of another marmot, it dashes back to the protection of its burrow.