Alpine marmot

Alpine marmot
Individual in Queyras regional park, France (above), and Vanoise National Park, France (below)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Sciuridae
Genus: Marmota
Species:
M. marmota
Binomial name
Marmota marmota
Range in red
Synonyms
  • Mus marmota Linnaeus, 1758

The Alpine marmot is a species of marmot. It can be found in mountain regions of central and southern Europe. It is the third-largest rodent on the European continent. The Eurasian beaver and the Crested porcupine are both larger than it. Alpine marmots mature in their third year. For this reason, marmots live in family groups of up to twenty animals. Alpine marmots have been around since the ice age. Today, their range is limited to the higher mountain regions.

References

  1. Herrero, J.; Zima, J. & Coroiu, I. (2008). "Marmota marmota". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2008. Retrieved 31 December 2014.