Animal World: Marmot

Marmots are members of the squirrel (rodent) family. They are sufficiently different for our purposes to differentiate them from ground squirrels. You can think of a marmot as a large plump ground squirrel. Marmots usually live in mountainous areas. Marmots live in burrows, and hibernate there through the winter. Most marmots are highly social, and … Read more

Large Rodent: Nutria (Myocastor Coypus)

The nutria (Myocastor coypus), is a large semi-aquatic rodent. In most of the world the animal is called coypu, but in North America the animal is called nutria. Nutria are not native to the USA but were introduced years ago for their fur. Originally in pens they either escaped during a hurricane or were intentionally … Read more

Woodchuck aka Groundhog

The Woodchuck aka groundhog (Marmota monax) is a rodent belonging to the group of large ground squirrels known as marmots but is sufficiently different in its habitat to warrent a page all to itself. Most marmots, such as yellow-bellied and hoary marmots, live in rocky and mountainous areas, but the woodchuck is a lowland creature. … Read more