One of the 8 marmots on WAnimals
Mammals · Rodentia · Sciuridae
Himalayan Marmot
Marmota himalayana
Least Concern
The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk.
The Himalayan marmot is one of the highest-living mammals in the world: it occupies alpine meadows in Tibet, Nepal, India and Pakistan above 3,500 metres and reaches beyond 5,000. It lives in family colonies that dig deep burrows and share a system of alarm whistles. It spends between six and eight months hibernating in chambers sealed with earth and stones, emerging only when the snow frees the pasture. It is important prey for the Tibetan wolf and the snow leopard.
Weight
4 kg – 9.2 kg
Size
45 cm – 67 cm
Life expectancy
15 years
