Alpine marmots live in short grass sub-alpine pastures and higher elevation alpine regions. Like many other Old World marmots, alpine marmots live in family groups where there is a breeding pair and offspring from previous years.  Older male offspring have been shown to help thermo-regulate younger siblings during the cold winters.  Occasionally sons may mate with their mothers.  About half the adult females will breed in a given year.  Litter sizes are small, (averaging 2 to 3 pups).  Alpine marmots hibernate for at least 6.5 months.

Alpine marmots have two different alarm calls. They commonly whistle and occasionally produce a descending whistle.  The most common whistle tends to be repeated a number of times and is associated with the degree of risk a caller experiences.

The Tatras Marmot is an endemic subspecies and is considered threatened. There have been repeated attempts to repopulate the Beliankse Tatras to create two distinct viable breeding populations however due to predation, mainly by golden eagles, this has been unsuccessful so far. There is also a problem with poaching both for sport and as it is still believed by some that their fat, when rubbed into the skin is an effective cure for rheumatism.

Fast Facts

Type: Mammal
Diet: Herbivore
Average lifespan in the wild: 6 years
Size: Head and body, 50 - 55 cm; Tail 15 – 20 cm
Weight: 3 – 5 kg