“Marmots,” wrote the prominent Russian ethnographer A. Geins, “like to winter in coal seams and, getting to it, dig a little deeper. The debris they excavate is thrown outside and serves as an undeniable sign of the presence of coal.” Therefore, the marmot is considered the discoverer of Karaganda coal and has become a symbol of the city. Until 2007, it held a prominent place on the coat of arms of Karaganda.

They have a good memory, an excellent sense of smell, and they can easily distinguish their own from others.

Marmots are clever. However, in circuses, marmots, like beavers, are extremely rare performers.

Among the challenges of keeping them is the morning whistle. The marmot wakes all the inhabitants of the house before five o'clock. And calming it down is not so easy. The usual "shoo" will not work here. The marmot needs to be calmed down, fed, and petted. If the sleepy marmot is whistling, it needs to be carefully awakened without scaring it.

Marmots are very friendly. They live in colonies and take care of each other. In the steppe, when you approach, the marmot warns its relatives with a shout. The sound is similar to that which a physical education teacher makes with a whistle during a lesson when changing exercises. If you get too close to the marmot's burrow, it will shout loudly at you and run into its hole. Other marmots within sight will instantly scatter.