Hoary marmots are also known as whistle pigs, due to the calls used by sentry marmots to alert the rest of their colonies to possible danger.

They live in colonies of up to 30, and hibernate for 7-8 months of the year in a shared burrow. Each colony has as many as 100 smaller burrows for summer sleeping and refuge from predators, with around 5 new ones dug per year.

Marmots are actually a type of squirrel. They are found in subalpine meadows and greatly enjoy sunning themselves on well placed rocks.

A population of marmots in China may have been the original natural reservoir of the Black Death pandemic in the 14th century.