The hoary marmot is a species of marmot that inhabits the mountains of northwest North America. Hoary marmots live near the tree line on slopes with grasses and forbs to eat and rocky areas for cover.
Hoary marmot
Hoary marmot near Helen Lake, Banff National Park, Canada
Range of the hoary marmot (Marmota caligata).
Basking behaviour, near Juneau, Alaska
Marmots are large ground squirrels in the genus Marmota, with 15 species living in Asia, Europe, and North America. These herbivores are active during the summer, when they can often be found in groups, but are not seen during the winter, when they hibernate underground. They are the heaviest members of the squirrel family.
Marmot
A Marmot with a Branch of Plums, 1605 by Jacopo Ligozzi
Marmota primigenia fossil
Image: Marmota baibacina