Hoary marmot

Description:

The hoary marmot is a large, bulky, ground squirrel, with short, heavy limbs, and a broad head. Adults range from 62 to 82 centimetres (24 to 32 in) in total length, including a 17 to 25 centimetres (6.7 to 9.8 in) tail.the weight of the animals varies considerably over the course of the year, from an average of 3.75 kilograms (8.3 lb) in May to around 7 kilograms (15 lb) in September, for a fully grown adult.[5]

Habitat:

The hoary marmot inhabits mountainous environments from sea level to 2,500 metres (8,200 ft) elevation, through much of Alaska, western Canada, and the extreme northwest of the contiguous United States.Hoary marmots are diurnal and herbivorous, subsisting on leaves, flowers, grasses, and sedges. Predators include golden eagles, grizzly and black bears, wolves, coyotes, red foxes, lynxes, cougars and wolverines. They live in colonies of up to 36 individuals, with a home range averaging about 14 hectares (35 acres). Each colony includes a single, dominant, adult male, up to three adult females, sometimes with a subordinate adult male, and a number of young and sub-adults up to two years of age.