One of the 8 marmots on WAnimals
Mammals · Rodentia · Sciuridae
Hoary Marmot
Marmota caligata
Least Concern
The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk.
The hoary marmot is the largest of the North American marmots and lives in the alpine meadows and boulder fields of the mountains of the north-west of the continent, from Alaska to Montana. It owes its name to the silvery fur of its shoulders and forequarters. It lives in family colonies with a dominant male and several females, and hibernates for seven to eight months a year. Its extremely high-pitched alarm whistle has earned it the nickname of whistler among mountaineers.
Weight
3.5 kg – 10 kg
Size
45 cm – 82 cm
Life expectancy
14 years
