Bobak Marmot

Also known as Steppe Marmot

Bobak marmots are heavy-bodied ground squirrels that form extensive colonies across the rolling steppe grasslands of Eastern Europe and Central Asia. They construct complex subterranean burrows complete with nursery chambers, sleeping quarters, and emergency escape tunnels. To survive the harsh continental winters, these social rodents hibernate in underground groups for more than half the year before emerging in spring to forage and raise their young.