Are these two alpine marmots waiting to hear news of spring from their distant American relative, the groundhog Punxsutawney Phil? Truth be told, here in the snowy Eastern Alps of Austria, most marmots will likely sleep through Groundhog Day, which is celebrated in the United States and Canada each year on February 2. Alpine marmots hibernate for up to nine months a year in underground burrows, relying on fat reserves to stay alive. During this time, their heart rate lowers to 5 beats per minute and they breathe just 1 to 3 times per minute. Sleep well, little friends.
Alpine marmots at Hohe Tauern National Park, Austria
Today in History
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Of moose and Maine
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River otters at Acadia National Park, Maine
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International Day of Peace
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A tribute to the ancestors
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Celebrating 200 years of statehood
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It’s National Dolphin Day!
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Cheese! We ll go somewhere where there s cheese!
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A snuggling ball of cute
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May the Fourth be with you…
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Leap day
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National Mushroom Month
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Let’s have a ball
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Its Halfway Day!
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1934 Labor Day parade, Gastonia, North Carolina
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Winter at Valley Forge
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Does this shark have an Irish accent?
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Eurasian lynx
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Thomas Edison s bright idea
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Modica, Sicily, Italy
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Road-trip worthy attraction in the heartland
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World Rhinoceros Day
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Road to Hana, Maui, Hawaii
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What are we looking at?
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Here comes summer
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China s colorful terraced pools
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American bison
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Sea Otter Awareness Week
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Fin whales: A success story
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Daylight saving time
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A bridge that rocks