The alpine marmot Marmota marmota is a large ground-dwelling squirrel, from the genus of marmots. It is found in high numbers in mountainous areas of central and southern Europe, at heights between 800 and 3,200 m in the Alps, Carpathians, Tatras and Northern Apennines. Alpine marmots eat plants such as grasses and herbs, as well as grain, insects, spiders and worms. They prefer young and tender plants over any other kind, and hold food in their forepaws while eating. They mainly emerge from their burrows to engage in feeding during the morning and afternoon, as they are not well suited to heat, which may result in them not feeding at all on very warm days. When the weather is suitable, they will consume large amounts of food in order to create a layer of fat on their body, enabling them to survive their long hibernation period. The High Tauern, in german: Hohe Tauern and in italian: Alti Tauri, are a mountain range on the main chain of the Central Eastern Alps, comprising the highest peaks east of the Brenner Pass. Austria, Europe.
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