Сурки притомлені до холодного клімату та соціальні в деяких видів

Marmots are well suited for life in cold environments and have small fur-covered ears, short, stocky legs, and strong claws for digging. Some marmots, such as the Alpine marmot (M. marmota) and the hoary marmot (M. caligata) of northwestern North America, are gregarious and social, but others, including the woodchuck (M. monax) of Canada and the United States, are solitary. All hibernate in winter, most of them deeply, although some may emerge from their burrows for short periods on mild winter days. During hibernation they live on fat reserves accumulated during the summer.

National Geographic