Marmots live in big family groups in underground burrows. The burrows can be enormous - a network of tunnels dug beneath the alpine meadow, with different chambers for sleeping, storing food and keeping the young safe. In summer, you can sometimes spot the freshly dug earth that marks a burrow entrance.
Every autumn, marmots do something remarkable: they hibernate. The whole family squeezes into the deepest part of the burrow, their heart rate drops from over 100 beats per minute down to just 3 or 4, and they sleep for about six months. They live off the fat they built up eating all summer long.
In spring, when the snow melts and the meadows turn green, marmots wake up and pop out of their burrows. They spend the warm months eating as much grass and plants as possible, playing, sunbathing on rocks and keeping watch for eagles. It looks like an excellent life.