Alpine marmot

Meet the alpine marmot, a large ground squirrel found in mountainous areas of central and southern Europe. They are social animals and live together in family groups of up to 20 individuals at heights between 800 and 3,200 metres in the Alps, Carpathians, Pyrenees, Tatras and Northern Apennines. The marmot in our image has been photographed in Austria's High Tauern National Park. If you hear a high-pitched whistle while hiking in these mountains, there are likely to be marmots close by – they warn each other with this loud sound when there is a predator threatening their colony.
© Misja Smits/Minden Pictures