Alpine Marmot

Marmota marmota

Conservation Status

Least Concern

Mammalia · Rodentia · Sciuridae

About

The alpine marmot is a large ground-dwelling squirrel, from the genus of marmots. It is found in high numbers in mountainous areas of central and southern Europe, at heights between 800 and 3,200 m (2,600–10,500 ft) in the Alps, Carpathians, Tatras and Northern Apennines. In 1948 they were reintroduced with success in the Pyrenees, where the alpine marmot had disappeared at end of the Pleistocene epoch.

Fun Fact

Alpine marmots hibernate as family groups huddled together, and adults sacrifice body fat to keep yearlings warm — without this communal warmth, young marmots would not survive the winter.

Quick Facts

Habitat

Alpine meadows

Diet

Herbivore

Lifespan

13-15 years

Threats

Grazing Pressure
Infrastructure Development

External Data Sources

Recent sightings on iNaturalist IUCN Red List profile

More Mammals Species

Abbott's Duiker EN Abbott's Gibbon EN Addax CR African Elephant EN African Forest Elephant CR African Wild Ass CR

Browse all Mammals →