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.

Also know as the ground pig, land beaver, whistle pig, whistler, woodchuck, Canada marmot, the siffleux by French Canadians, and the Monax which is from the Algonquian word meaning digger.

The groundhog prefers open country and the edges of woodland with a wide geographic range. It is typically found in low-elevation forests, small woodlots, fields, pastures and hedgerows. It constructs dens in well-drained soil, and most have summer and winter dens. Groundhogs are rarely far from a burrow entrance.

Groundhogs are among the few species of true hibernators, which behavior has led to the North American tradition of Groundhog Day. Normally emerging from their winter burrows in February is the reason for the date of the tradition. The shadow observing has no scientific basis as it was imported from a German tradition on the behavior of the European badger and totally unrelated animal.

Except for the boreal ecoregions above 60° northern latitude, they are found in most all of the Interior Lowlands Region and Canadian Shield Region, and some can be found in the Basin and Range areas of both Alaska and British Columbia.

Also, they are found in all of the Appalachian Mountains Region, in the Interior Highlands Region, and in the northernmost areas of the Coastal Plains Region.

The yellow-bellied marmot is the best studied marmot species. They have a harem-polygnous social system, with a male defending his harem of 1-4 females. Colonies, or groups of harems in the same area, may have 10-20 individuals harems. About ninety percent of yellow-bellied marmots live in this type of social groups.

Adult males are territorial and agonistic towards each other where females are amicable and often jointly raise the young. Each male marmot digs a burrow with several entrances in well-drained soil for his harem. The burrows are about three to four feet deep, with tunnels between 33 to over 200 feet long between the entrances. Hibernation burrows may be 16 to 23 feet deep. These burrows are dug under rocks to so as to camouflage them from predators.

Again, I am up very early because of the cold weather, start the engine and turn on the heater. It does not take long for it to warm up and begin exploring the park once again. Later, after it warms up outside, I stop to prepare my breakfast.

After eating, I then pack out of the campground and resume exploring. Not long before noon, I see a marmot emerging from his rock hole and stop to photograph him. He stays close to his hole but seems to be enjoying being out in the sun.

And then the yellow-bellied marmot scurried back into his hole. Methought, this is why probably why these rodents are called Sciuridea.