Marmot
- Any of 14 species of giant ground squirrels found primarily in North
America and Eurasia. These rodents are large and heavy, weighing 6 to
15 pounds depending upon the species. Marmots are well suited for life
in cold environments and have small fur-covered ears, short, stocky
legs, and strong claws for digging. Length of the bulky body is 12 to
24 inches. Marmots
are found north of Mexico and in Eurasia from the European Alps
through north-central Asia, the Himalayas, and northeastern Siberia to
the Kamchatka Peninsula. The closest
living relatives of marmots are ground squirrels and prairie
dogs.
"marmot."
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