Marmot Marmots live in large colonies, excavating deep burrows in which they hibernate during winter. As many as 10 to 15 closely-packed animals crowd together in a single, carefully lined burrow. During summer, they feed outside their burrows and give loud whistles when sighting an intruder. (They have sentinels and thus a well structured community.) The Himalayan marmot is about 2 feet long with a 5 inch tail.