marmot

marmot

marmot ground-living rodent of the genus Marmota, of the squirrel family, closely related to the ground squirrel, prairie dog, and chipmunk. Marmots are found in Eurasia and North America; the best-known North American marmot is the woodchuck , M. monax, of Canada and the E United States. Marmots inhabit plains or open country in mountainous regions. They live in burrows (some species in large colonies). They hibernate during the winter and mate immediately thereafter. Active during the day, they feed chiefly on grasses and other green plants. Marmots have stout bodies, rounded ears, and powerful digging claws. They can sit upright. They vary in length from 15 to 25 in. (38-64 cm), excluding 5- to 12-in. (16- to 30-cm) bushy tails. The coarse fur, which is usually brown on the upper parts, is often tipped with white. The yellow-bellied marmot, M. flaviventris, is found in W North America from S Canada to New Mexico. The hoary marmot, M. caligata, also called whistler from its shrill warning call, is found in Siberia and from Alaska S to Idaho. A colonial animal, it lives in mountains above the timberline. Largest of the marmots, it is also distinguished by its pale yellow-gray fur and black and white head. The Alpine marmot, M. marmota, lives below the snow level in the Alps. The bobac, M. bobak, is a marmot found in mountains from E Europe through central Asia. It is hunted for its flesh by the Mongols, and its fur is used as imitation marten. Marmots are classified in the phylum Chordata , subphylum Vertebrata, class Mammalia, order Rodentia, family Sciuridae.

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"marmot." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

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marmot

marmot Stocky, terrestrial rodent of the squirrel family, native to North America, Europe and Asia. Most marmots have brown to grey fur, short, powerful legs, and furry tails. Length, excluding tail: 30–60cm (12–24in); weight: 3–8kg (6.6–16.5lb). Family Sciuridae.

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"marmot." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

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marmot

mar·mot / ˈmärmət/ • n. a heavily built, gregarious, burrowing rodent (genus Marmota) of the squirrel family, typically living in mountainous regions of Eurasia and North America.

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"marmot." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

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marmot

marmot (woodchuck, groundhog, Marmota marmota) See GROUNDHOG; SCIURIDAE.

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MICHAEL ALLABY. "marmot." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

MICHAEL ALLABY. "marmot." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-marmot.html

MICHAEL ALLABY. "marmot." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-marmot.html

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marmot

marmot XVII. — F. marmotte, of uncert. orig.

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T. F. HOAD. "marmot." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

T. F. HOAD. "marmot." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-marmot.html

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marmot

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"marmot." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

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Free newspaper and magazine articles

Endangered marmots released into the wild.
M2 Presswire; 7/8/2005
Mountain marmots made bigger by climate change, says new study.
News Wire article from: Philippines News Agency; 7/22/2010
Female Olympic Marmots (Marmota olympus) Reproduce in Consecutive Years
Magazine article from: The American Midland Naturalist; 7/1/2007

Facts and information from other sites

marmot images
marmot. (Image by Jjron, GFDL)