M armots burrow deep into the soil beneath boulders to den. Up to half of their summer weight is lost during hibernation, and animals with insufficient fat or a burrow too shallow to prevent freezing do not arouse in the spring. Successful hibernators emerge to mate as soon as green forage is available. They are weaned in 20 to 30 days. P referred foods are flowering stalks, but marmots eat the leaves of a variety of grasses and forbs.
Daily activity includes foraging, sunning, grooming and sleep.
M armots are often colonial. A single male maintains a territory with a harem of several females, yearlings and young of the year. Predators include the coyote, badger, bobcat, golden eagle, hawks, owls, weasels and marten. However, predation probably is a less important cause of mortality than the stress of hibernation. Marmots are protected by a rocky habitat and a social system of alarm calls.