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The yellow-bellied marmot, also known as the rock chuck, is a large, stout-bodied ground squirrel. The fur is mainly brown, with a dark bushy tail, yellow chest and white patch between the eyes, and they weigh up to approximately 11 pounds. Colonies live in burrows of up to twenty individuals with a single dominant male.  

Like most wildlife, they are typically skittish around humans. But if they are cornered, they can bite when feeling scared. Marmots can also carry ticks, which in turn can carry Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. They could also transmit rabies when found in a sickly state.

If it spots a predator, it makes a loud whistling sound. When other marmots hear this, they run into their burrows and tunnels to escape danger. They make other sounds such as chattering and clicking. They even have a sound that is similar to a scream. Marmots pose risks to properties by quickly eating vegetation around the yard and sometimes digging burrows against structural foundations.

Marmots spend over half their lives in hibernation. They enter their burrows in September to early October and don't emerge again until the following April or May. The breeding season of the yellow-bellied marmot takes place from May to June. These animals breed just once per year. In ideal conditions, marmots have been known to live up to 15 years.

• Vehicles kept outside long term may have marmots entering the engine bay.
• Large rock enclosures have tunnels dug into them.
• Entire vegetable gardens striped in only a few nights.
• Tunneling found throughout the yard.

The most effective solution for marmots includes fencing specific areas of the yard to keep the marmots out. Fencing must be at least 3 feet high and have 12 inches submerged into the ground. A licensed professional may be hired to trap the marmots or implement frightening tactics to convince them to move on from the property.