It is a herbivore active in the summer, living in territorial family clans in the mountains from the upper montane to the alpine zone.

[5] The wider recognition of the marmot in Poland was influenced by the slow progress of settlement in the Tatra region, dating back to the privilege granted by Bolesław V the Chaste in 1255 to the Cistercian Abbey of Szczyrzyc: We also grant to the abbot: free hunting, all in the surrounding forests up to the mountains called Tatras.

[3] Historical accounts mention that over time, a group of hunters specializing in marmot hunting emerged, known as "whistlers".

Hungarian pastor Andreas Jonas Czirbesz [pl] wrote in 1774:[7] The Carpathian marmot resides in the highest mountain peaks' dens in summer and winter.

The marmot makes very long burrows in the Tatra hollows, lining them with moss, grass, and, like many animals, undergoes hibernation.

At the end of summer, it stores numerous root supplies in its burrows and, having fattened up excessively, falls asleep in this winter abode, only waking up completely emaciated with spring.

The holotype studies were conducted by Josef Kratochvíl [pl], a zoologist from the agricultural university in Brno, who found significant differences in the structure of the nasal bones compared to representatives of Alpine populations.

The generic name Marmota may derive from Gallo-Romance languages, meaning "murmuring" or "purring", or from Latin, being associated with the term mus montanus, which translates to "mountain mouse".

[4] During the season from spring to autumn, marmots start to consume more calories, taking in more carbohydrates from grass seeds, and their brown adipose tissue significantly expands, creating an energy reserve for the next hibernation period.

Five rows of whiskers, measuring up to 8 cm in length, grow on the sides of the marmot's muzzle, with sensory hairs also distributed on the eyebrows.

[4] The front paws are short, robust, and dexterous, equipped with four hairy toes ending in claws measuring from 2 to 2.5 cm, which serve as useful tools for digging burrows and holding food.

[4]The main feature that allowed the Tatra subspecies of marmot to be distinguished was the dimensions of the facial part of the nasal bone: Furthermore, Tatra marmots are characterized by lighter fur and have a grayish-brown coloration, while the alpine subspecies has a darker brown coloration, often with a reddish hue.

Other activities such as moving, gathering winter supplies, digging and tidying burrows, playing, hygiene, typically account for only 8.9% of their time.

[26] Young marmots usually hibernate in the middle of the family, enveloped by older individuals, which helps them survive the burden of winter sleep more easily.

[23] During these short awakenings, the marmot's body temperature rises to about 34 °C,[26] sharply increasing energy expenditure, and up to 90% of the reserves accumulated in the form of brown adipose tissue are consumed.

The presence of a human, dog, or fox is signaled by a series of moderately intense whistles – then marmots swiftly move to the nearest burrow and observe from its entrance how events unfold.

The series of whistles usually also discourages a fox, who is aware that after hearing the alarm signals, no marmot will become its prey.

[3] However, there is a lack of reliable cranial or genetic studies that would resolve the issue of the origin of the populations in the Slovak Low Tatras.

[3] In the last decade, a small number of marmots from the population in the Slovak Tatras were introduced into the Ukrainian part of the Eastern Carpathians.

More than 40 species of consumed plants are mentioned;[5] among them are alpine bartsia, wood cranesbill, Oreochloa disticha, European blueberry, Veratrum lobelianum, Campanula alpina, Campanula tatrae, Ranunculus pseudomontanus, large white buttercup, alpine hawkweed, brown clover, colorful fescue, Valeriana sambucifolia, Valeriana tripteris, Thymus alpestris, Thymus pulcherrimus, Adenostyles alliariae, dandelions, Solidago alpestris, Doronicum austriacum, Doronicum clusii, golden cinquefoil, Anthyllis vulneraria subsp.

[5] The Tatra marmot is vulnerable to attacks from predators such as the golden eagle, gray wolf, Eurasian lynx, and red fox.

[5] However, most authors report much smaller surface areas occupied by the colony: Peter Bopp 2000–2500 m2, Josef Kratochvíl 7900 m2, Milíč Blahout 2500–3600 m2, Dymitr I. Bibikov 500–4500 m2.

[4] The tunnels have an oval shape with a diameter of 15–18 cm[29] and are relatively shallow, but below the frost line – typically 1.2 meters below ground level.

The central chamber of the burrow is located even up to 7 meters deep,[26] accessed by several tunnels allowing the use of distant entrances.

[41] Until the 19th century, regular hunting of marmots was conducted in the Tatra Mountains, where their skins, meat, and fat were highly sought-after commodities.

There was a particularly high demand for marmot fat due to its use in traditional medicine and the widespread belief in its miraculous healing properties.

[25] Additionally, it was believed to heal wounds, treat swollen glands (lymph nodes), and alleviate coughs.

[25][42] Towards the end of the 19th century, when Zakopane gained status of a spa town, many tuberculosis patients sought "miraculous remedies" in the form of marmot fat.

[3] On 5 October 1868, under pressure from members of the local history commission of the Kraków Scientific Society [pl] (Maksymilian Nowicki, Ludwik Zejszner, and Father Dr. Eugeniusz Janota [pl]),[14][43] the Diet of Galicia and Lodomeria in Lviv adopted a law regarding the prohibition of capturing, exterminating, and selling alpine animals proper to the Tatras, marmots, and wild goats.

Human presence also limits contacts between colonies (e.g., in the Kasprowy Wierch area), which are necessary for genetic exchange, and increases the risk of additional diseases, including parasites.