A marmot is any of 14 species of giant ground squirrels. They are large rodents, weighing 6.6 to 15.4 pounds, found primarily in North America and Eurasia. Marmots are well suited for life in cold environments and have fur-covered ears, stocky legs, and strong claws for digging. They are active during the day and are almost entirely vegetarian. Marmots live in burrows that they dig. Some marmots are social, but others are solitary. All hibernate in winter, living on fat reserves accumulated during the summer. They belong to the squirrel family (Sciuridae) within the order Rodentia. The closest living relatives of marmots are ground squirrels and prairie dogs.

Where do marmots live?

Marmots, giant ground squirrels, live primarily in North America and Eurasia, north of Mexico, from the European Alps through north-central Asia, the Himalayas, and northeastern Siberia, to the Kamchatka Peninsula. They prefer open country in mountains and plains, such as montane meadows, steppes, tundra, and forest edges, where they dig burrows, often beneath boulder fields, rocky slopes, and cliff crevices. These locations offer protection from predators and serve as observation sites. When alarmed, marmots whistle sharply and retreat to their burrows.

What do marmots look like?

Marmots are giant ground squirrels found in North America and Eurasia. They weigh between 6.6 to 15.4 pounds, varying by species. They are well adapted for life in cold environments, with small, fur-covered ears, short, stocky legs, and strong claws for digging. Their bulky bodies range from 11.8 to 23.6 inches in length, with short, bushy tails that are 3.9 to 9.8 inches long. Their long, thick fur is slightly coarse and comes in colors of yellowish-brown, brown, reddish-brown, black, or a mix of gray and white.

Marmots, a type of giant ground squirrel, are diurnal and almost entirely vegetarian. The Alaska marmot forages on low-nutrient tundra vegetation, competing with animals such as caribou, Dall’s sheep, and voles. Some marmot species are social, while others are solitary. All marmots hibernate in winter, living on fat reserves accumulated during the summer.

How do marmots survive winter?

Marmots, giant ground squirrels found in North America and Eurasia, survive the winter by hibernating. They are true hibernators, meaning their body temperatures drop close to freezing. During hibernation, marmots live on fat reserves accumulated during the summer. They enter a state of torpor, characterized by lowered body temperature and reduced metabolic activity. The nervous system adapts, allowing perception of environmental changes even in a torpid state. Marmots don't stay in continuous hibernation; they awaken periodically, possibly to move around or feed if they have stored food. Arousal consumes a lot of energy, so they may not survive if the winter is too long and they deplete their energy reserves. They prepare for hibernation by building nests in burrows for insulation.

How do marmots communicate and interact with each other?

Marmots communicate and interact through several methods. When alarmed, they emit a sharp whistle to alert others to danger, prompting them to seek shelter in their burrows. Some marmot species are social, while others are solitary. Mammals use urine, feces, and scent markings to define breeding territories and advertise sexual readiness. For scents to be effective as territorial markers, individuals must distinguish their own scent from others. Scents must persist and change over time, indicating whether an intruder is recent or from the past.

marmot

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A man in a top hat holds a groundhog up into the air.

A Himalayan marmot (Marmota himalayana) sits at the entrance of its burrow on grassy ground, with barren mountains in the background in Ladakh, India.

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Related Topics:: groundhog; hoary marmot; Alpine marmot; Olympic marmot; Alaska marmot

On the Web:: PNAS - Seasonal climate change and marmot demography (Oct. 16, 2026)

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marmot

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Also known as: Marmota

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Oct. 16, 2026 •History

Top Questions

What is a marmot?
A marmot is any of 14 species of giant ground squirrels. They are large rodents, weighing 6.6 to 15.4 pounds, found primarily in North America and Eurasia. Marmots are well suited for life in cold environments and have fur-covered ears, stocky legs, and strong claws for digging. They are active during the day and are almost entirely vegetarian.

Marmots live in burrows that they dig. Some marmots are social, but others are solitary. All hibernate in winter, living on fat reserves accumulated during the summer. They belong to the squirrel family (Sciuridae) within the order Rodentia. The closest living relatives of marmots are ground squirrels and prairie dogs.
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Where do marmots live?
Marmots, giant ground squirrels, live primarily in North America and Eurasia, north of Mexico, from the European Alps through north-central Asia, the Himalayas, and northeastern Siberia, to the Kamchatka Peninsula. They prefer open country in mountains and plains, such as montane meadows, steppes, tundra, and forest edges, where they dig burrows, often beneath boulder fields, rocky slopes, and cliff crevices. These locations offer protection from predators and serve as observation sites. When alarmed, marmots whistle sharply and retreat to their burrows.
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1. marmot
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What do marmots look like?
Marmots are giant ground squirrels found in North America and Eurasia. They weigh between 6.6 to 15.4 pounds, varying by species. They are well adapted for life in cold environments, with small, fur-covered ears, short, stocky legs, and strong claws for digging. Their bulky bodies range from 11.8 to 23.6 inches in length, with short, bushy tails that are 3.9 to 9.8 inches long. Their long, thick fur is slightly coarse and comes in colors of yellowish-brown, brown, reddish-brown, black, or a mix of gray and white.
1 Britannica Source
1. marmot
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What do marmots eat?
Marmots, a type of giant ground squirrel, are diurnal and almost entirely vegetarian. The Alaska marmot forages on low-nutrient tundra vegetation, competing with animals such as caribou, Dall’s sheep, and voles. Some marmot species are social, while others are solitary. All marmots hibernate in winter, living on fat reserves accumulated during the summer.
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How do marmots survive winter?
Marmots, giant ground squirrels found in North America and Eurasia, survive the winter by hibernating. They are true hibernators, meaning their body temperatures drop close to freezing.

During hibernation, marmots live on fat reserves accumulated during the summer. They enter a state of torpor, characterized by lowered body temperature and reduced metabolic activity. The nervous system adapts, allowing perception of environmental changes even in a torpid state.

Marmots don't stay in continuous hibernation; they awaken periodically, possibly to move around or feed if they have stored food. Arousal consumes a lot of energy, so they may not survive if the winter is too long and they deplete their energy reserves. They prepare for hibernation by building nests in burrows for insulation.
4 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
How do marmots communicate and interact with each other?
Marmots communicate and interact through several methods. When alarmed, they emit a sharp whistle to alert others to danger, prompting them to seek shelter in their burrows.

Some marmot species are social, while others are solitary. Mammals use urine, feces, and scent markings to define breeding territories and advertise sexual readiness. For scents to be effective as territorial markers, individuals must distinguish their own scent from others. Scents must persist and change over time, indicating whether an intruder is recent or from the past.
3 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

marmot, (genus Marmota), any of 14 species of giant ground squirrels found primarily in North America and Eurasia. These rodents are large and heavy, weighing 3 to 7 kg (6.6 to 15.4 pounds), depending upon the species. Marmots are well suited for life in cold environments and have small fur-covered ears, short, stocky legs, and strong claws for digging. Length of the bulky body is 30 to 60 cm (11.8 to 23.6 inches), and the short, bushy tail is 10 to 25 cm long. Their long, thick fur is slightly coarse and may be yellowish brown (usually frosted with buff white), brown, reddish brown, black, or a mixture of gray and white.

Marmots are found north of Mexico and in Eurasia from the European Alps through north-central Asia, the Himalayas, and northeastern Siberia to the Kamchatka Peninsula. They inhabit open country in mountains and plains, preferring montane meadows, steppes, tundra, and forest edges. All live in burrows that they excavate, and most mountain species construct burrows beneath boulder fields, rocky slopes, and crevices in cliff faces. This terrain provides protection from predators such as grizzly bears, which are aggressive diggers and a significant predator of the Alaska marmot (Marmota broweri) in the Brooks Range. Rocks and cliffs also serve as observation sites where the rodents sit upright watching for both terrestrial and aerial predators. When alarmed, marmots emit a sharp, piercing whistle and scurry to their burrows if danger persists.

Hoary marmotHoary marmot (*Marmota caligata*) looking over a rock ledge on Mount Rainier, Washington, U.S.

Marmots are active during the day (diurnal) and are almost entirely vegetarian. The Alaska marmot, which grazes on low-nutrient tundra vegetation, must seek productive foraging areas where it competes indirectly with other mammalian grazers, including caribou, Dall’s sheep, and voles. Some marmots, such as the Alpine marmot (M. marmota) and the hoary marmot (M. caligata) of northwestern North America, are gregarious and social, but others, including the woodchuck (M. monax) of Canada and the United States, are solitary. All hibernate in winter, most of them deeply, although some may emerge from their burrows for short periods on mild winter days. During hibernation they live on fat reserves accumulated during the summer. The hoary marmot hibernates for up to nine months, its fat reserves amounting to 20 percent of its total body weight. Marmots mate soon after they emerge from hibernation. Gestation lasts about a month, and a litter of generally 4 or 5 (recorded extremes range from 2 to 11) is born in a nest within the burrow. Most marmots produce young every year, but the Olympic marmot (M. olympus) of the Olympic Mountains in the United States bears young every other year.

Dromedary camels (Camelus dromedarius). Animals, mammals.

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Marmots belong to the squirrel family (Sciuridae) within the order Rodentia. The closest living relatives of marmots are ground squirrels and prairie dogs. Marmots’ evolutionary history is recorded in North America by fossils of extinct species from the late Miocene Epoch (13.8 million to 5.3 million years ago). In Eurasia there is no evidence earlier than the Pleistocene Epoch (2.6 million to 11,700 years ago).

The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Meg Matthias.

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