Yellow-Bellied Marmot Sleeping Habits Offer Clues to Longevity

This adorable rodent might hold the key to slowing the aging process in humans.

By Holly Barker
Apr 6, 2022 8:30 PMApr 6, 2022 8:29 PM
marmot
(Credit:Fremme/Shutterstock)

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Every April, in the mountainous forests of Colorado, a fuzzy creature with a belly the color of buttered toast emerges from its snow-covered burrow. For the past eight months, the yellow-bellied marmot has been hibernating, existing in suspended animation to survive the bitterly cold winter. Although months have passed, the marmot is the same age — biologically speaking — as when it entered its den in early fall, a new study has found.

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