Roughly the size of a house cat, these members of the rodent family are extremely sociable, often seen greeting one another with nose-touching and play fighting. When in danger, the Vancouver Island marmot makes a piercing whistle sound, earning it the nickname “whistle pig.” These animals build burrows for giving birth, hiding from danger and hibernating from early October to late April. When spring arrives, they often have to tunnel through several metres of snow that have covered their dens.