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MARMOT
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MARMOT , the See also:vernacular name of a large, thickly built, burrowing Alpine rodent mammal, allied to the squirrels, and typifying the genus Arctomys, of which there are numerous See also:species ranging from the See also:Alps through See also:Asia See also:north of (but including the inner ranges of) the See also:Himalaya, and recurring in North See also:America. All these may be included under the name marmot. In addition to their stout build and See also:long thickly haired tails, marmots are characterized by the See also:absence of cheek-pouches, and the rudimentary first front-toe, which is furnished with a See also:flat See also:nail, as well as by certain features of the See also:skull and cheek-See also:teeth. See also:Europe possesses two species, the Alpine or true marmot (A. marmotta), and the more eastern bobac (A. bobac) ;and there are numerous kinds in Central Asia, one of which, the red marmot (A. caudata), is a much larger See also:animal, with a longer tail. Marmots inhabit open See also:country, either among mountains, or, more to the north, in the plains; and See also:associate in large colonies, forming burrows, each tenanted by a single See also:family. During the See also:day-See also:time the hillock at the entrance to the burrow is frequently occupied. by one or more members of the family, which at the approach of strangers sit up on their See also:hind-legs in See also:order to get a better view. If alarmed they utter a shrill loud See also:whistle, and See also:rush down the burrow, but reappear after a few minutes to see if the danger is past. In the See also:winter when the ground is deep in See also:snow, marmots retire to the depths of their burrows, where as many as ten or fifteen may occupy the same chamber. No See also:store of See also:food is accumulated, and the winter See also:sleep is probably unbroken. From two to four is the usual number of See also:young in a See also:litter. In America marmots are known as " See also:wood-chucks " its source of the See also:Marne-See also:Saone See also:canal which is continued at Rouvroy by the Haute-Marne canal as far as Vitry-le-See also:Francois. From that See also:town, which is the starting-point of the canal between the Marne and the See also:Rhine, it is accompanied by the lateral canal of the Marne to Dizy where its own channel is canalized. At See also:Conde, above See also:Epernay, the See also:river is joined by the canal connecting it with the See also:Aisne. Additional information and CommentsThere are no comments yet for this article.
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