The marmot habitat is the alpine and sub-alpine grasslands. It is commonly found on slopes with a southern exposure, where earth, detritus and stable rock allow the construction of deep dens. Although it normally inhabits the zone above the timberline, between 2000 and 3000 metres, in some areas, in the absence of tree vegetation, it can descend to an altitude of 800 metres. It is about 53-73 cm long, plus a 13-16 cm tail, and its shoulder height is around 18 cm.
Its weight varies from 4 to 8 kg.
It survives the winter period in dens, immersed in deep hibernation, broken by brief periods of waking, aimed at maintaining vital body temperatures (around 4° C).
It eats mainly grass, but also shoots, seeds, fruit, berries and roots, and is not above feeding on insects, small mammals and bird eggs.
The species is uniformly present all over the park, although it's more easier to observe it in the upland plains (Nivolet) areas and on the plains actively visited by tourists (Vallone del Lauson, Benevolo, Levionaz, etc..).
Photo: Marco Ferrando