Himalayan Marmot

The Himalayan Marmot (Marmota himalayana) is a marmot species that inhabits alpine grasslands throughout the Himalayas and on the Tibetan Plateau. The dense woolly fur of the Himalayan marmot is rufous grey on the back and rufous yellowish on the ears, belly, and limbs. Its tail end and bridge are both dark brown. Being around the size of a large housecat, it is one of the biggest marmots in the entire globe. The average body weight is 4 to 9.2 kg, with the spring following hibernation being the heaviest and the autumn preceding it the lightest.

The Himalayan marmot can be found in northeastern Pakistan, northern India, Nepal, Bhutan, and China at elevations of 3,000 to 5,500 m (9,800-18,000 ft) in the Himalayas and Tibetan Plateau. It has been reported in the Chinese regions of Xinjiang, Qinghai, Gansu, Xizang, western Sichuan, and Yunnan. Its range overlaps with that of the long-tailed marmot (M. Caudata) in the west, although there is no evidence that the two can hybridize. The Himalayan marmot lives in short grass steppes or alpine habitats, typically above the tree line but below the permanent snow limit.