Marmots

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The marmots, also known as "Mankei,“ live in colonies around the Hochkönig and can live up to 15 years. During the day, marmots leave their burrows and are primarily active on the ground, as they are not good climbers. Their diet consists of grasses and herbs, occasionally fruits, seeds, and insects. Marmots can be observed here around the rocks.

For rodents, marmots are quite large. Depending on the species, they have a head-body length of 30 to 60 cm, with an additional 10 to 25 cm for the tail. Their weight ranges from 3 to 7 kilograms.

The color of their fur varies between species but is generally brownish. The body of the animals is robust, with a short tail and short, rounded ears. The legs are also short and stout. Marmots build extensive tunnel systems consisting of escape tunnels and a main burrow. It is often challenging to distinguish between them, as not every burrow is completed and used, and there are also dead-end tunnels (toilet tunnels). The tunnels can reach lengths of 10 to 70 meters; the longest recorded tunnel measured 113 meters.