Marmotini

Marmotini is a tribe of rodents in the family Sciuridae, within the subfamily Xerinae. The group encompasses the ground-dwelling squirrels commonly known as marmots, ground squirrels, and prairie dogs. The exact limits of Marmotini have varied with taxonomic revisions; traditional classifications included Marmota (marmots), Cynomys (prairie dogs), and Spermophilus (a broad assemblage of Eurasian ground squirrels), while modern phylogenetic work has reorganized some of these genera into separate lineages. What remains clear is that Marmotini comprises medium to large-bodied, burrowing squirrels adapted to open habitats.

Notable genera and representatives within Marmotini include Marmota, which contains the marmots such as the alpine marmot and the hoary marmot; Cynomys, the prairie dogs of North American grasslands; and several Eurasian ground squirrels historically placed in Spermophilus, many of which have been reassigned to other genera such as Urocitellus and Ictidomys in contemporary classifications. Members vary in social structure from solitary to highly gregarious, with prairie dogs famous for their complex alarm calls and colony behavior.

Ecology and biology across Marmotini typically feature diurnal activity, herbivorous diets consisting of grasses, seeds, and forbs, and burrowing lifestyles. Marmots are known for seasonal hibernation, entering long periods of torpor in cold climates, while many ground squirrels cache food and maintain extensive burrow systems. Their distribution covers much of the Northern Hemisphere, including parts of North America, Europe, and Asia, in habitats ranging from alpine meadows and tundra to grassland and desert margins.

Conservation status within Marmotini varies by species, with some threatened by habitat loss and others considered keystone species in their ecosystems due to their burrowing activities and social structures.