When a stout brown animal stands beside a burrow, it’s easy to think of a groundhog. Start with its tail and ears, then look at the color of its nose and coat. A yellow belly, a white patch above the nose, or a…
Items 28 The creator’s order
1 Groundhog Use this as the comparison animal. A groundhog has a thickset body, short rounded ears and a short, furry tail. It is a marmot of lowland fields, forest edges and yards, especially in the eastern United States and Canada. The other entries show which marks to check when you see that silhouette. 0 2 Yellow-bellied marmot Like a groundhog, this marmot sits upright and looks broad through the shoulders. Try to catch the yellowish belly and the paler patch across the nose. A rock pile or sunny slope in the western mountains is a good setting for that combination. 0 3 Hoary marmot Look for grizzled pale fur on its shoulders and a darker face. The sturdy body looks much like a groundhog’s, but this marmot regularly uses open rocky slopes in the western mountains. Its pale ruff often stands out even when all you can see is the upper half. 0 4 Olympic marmot On an alpine meadow in Washington’s Olympic Mountains, watch the patches of tan and brown on a big marmot. Its coat can look very different depending on the season and molt. That setting is a stronger clue than trying to judge one precise shade from a distance. 0 5 Alaska marmot A squat body and short rounded ears could bring a groundhog to mind. In northern Alaska, look for the dark face and paler upper body against a rocky slope. Use the northern range and habitat alongside the color, since light on mountain rock can make coats hard to judge. 0 6 Vancouver Island marmot Look for chocolate-brown fur with white around the nose and chin. Its posture can resemble a groundhog’s when it stands at the edge of a burrow. The wild range is on Vancouver Island, and steep meadows give the marking an additional context. 0 7 Black-tailed prairie dog A prairie dog standing on its hind legs beside a burrow can look like a small groundhog. The black tail tip is a useful sign when it drops to all fours. A colony of low mounds in open grassland gives you another clue. 0 8 Gunnison's prairie dog Look for a sandy or gray-buff body and a short, light-tipped tail. It lives in colonies in parts of the Four Corners region, including some high valleys. A broad group of burrows is a better cue than the compact shape of one individual. 0 9 White-tailed prairie dog A broad sandy body and a watchful pose can look like a little groundhog near a burrow. Check the light tail tip and dark marks on the sides of the face. Look for this species in the sagebrush and grasslands of the interior West. 0 10 Utah prairie dog A cinnamon-brown prairie dog in southwestern Utah can sit upright with the same compact outline as a groundhog. Look for the dark spot above each eye and the white tip on its short tail. A colony in open country gives you another clue. 0 
GroundhogUse this as the comparison animal. A groundhog has a thickset body, short rounded ears and a short, furry tail. It is a marmot of lowland fields, forest edges and yards, especially in the eastern United States and Canada. The other entries show which marks to check when you see that silhouette.0
Yellow-bellied marmotLike a groundhog, this marmot sits upright and looks broad through the shoulders. Try to catch the yellowish belly and the paler patch across the nose. A rock pile or sunny slope in the western mountains is a good setting for that combination.0
Hoary marmotLook for grizzled pale fur on its shoulders and a darker face. The sturdy body looks much like a groundhog’s, but this marmot regularly uses open rocky slopes in the western mountains. Its pale ruff often stands out even when all you can see is the upper half.0
Olympic marmotOn an alpine meadow in Washington’s Olympic Mountains, watch the patches of tan and brown on a big marmot. Its coat can look very different depending on the season and molt. That setting is a stronger clue than trying to judge one precise shade from a distance.0
Alaska marmotA squat body and short rounded ears could bring a groundhog to mind. In northern Alaska, look for the dark face and paler upper body against a rocky slope. Use the northern range and habitat alongside the color, since light on mountain rock can make coats hard to judge.0
Vancouver Island marmotLook for chocolate-brown fur with white around the nose and chin. Its posture can resemble a groundhog’s when it stands at the edge of a burrow. The wild range is on Vancouver Island, and steep meadows give the marking an additional context.0
Black-tailed prairie dogA prairie dog standing on its hind legs beside a burrow can look like a small groundhog. The black tail tip is a useful sign when it drops to all fours. A colony of low mounds in open grassland gives you another clue.0
Gunnison's prairie dogLook for a sandy or gray-buff body and a short, light-tipped tail. It lives in colonies in parts of the Four Corners region, including some high valleys. A broad group of burrows is a better cue than the compact shape of one individual.0
White-tailed prairie dogA broad sandy body and a watchful pose can look like a little groundhog near a burrow. Check the light tail tip and dark marks on the sides of the face. Look for this species in the sagebrush and grasslands of the interior West.0
Utah prairie dogA cinnamon-brown prairie dog in southwestern Utah can sit upright with the same compact outline as a groundhog. Look for the dark spot above each eye and the white tip on its short tail. A colony in open country gives you another clue.0