What is this animal?

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Prof Young

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This is a trail cam pic from near Williamson County in IL. I think it's a marmot.
Opinions?

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Prof Young
 

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Nope, marmot have a face similar to a prairie dog or squirrel, notice I said similar. This looks like some type of ferrel cat.
 
Looks like a ground hog to me. Marmots and ground hogs are closely related cousins. Marmots live in western states, ground hogs in the east.
 
Marmots and ground hogs are the same critter. They're a giant tree rat. Kind of odd to see one walking that high on its pins though.
No cat looks like that. Feral or otherwise.
 
groundhog-day-ftr.jpg

Univ of Utah says MARMOT. THis one is the western species, we call them rockchucks.
 
I have been all over the US, and to Switzerland where they are quite celebrated, and I've never seen a marmot/groundhog rock/woodchuck with legs like that.

Is it possibly a winter weight, light-haired pacific fisher?
 
Saw one on the side of a tree one time. Never would have thought they would or could climb.
That one might be hold himself up off the snow. They dislike cold and wet and are a true hibernator. The fur is kind of thin.
I have shot 'em off snow banks in early spring though. Earliest one was on 3 March, long ago.
They do have a different name according to where you are. But they're all the same beastie.
 
That thar looks like a Whistle Pig to me, aka woodchuck, aka marmot.

I have seen some mighty big ones in southern Wi. and some mighty big corresponding holes in the ground.
 
By winter weight, I meant fattened up.

I agree that it looks like a groundhog/marmot. But I have killed and trapped literally hundreds of those. Not once I have seen legs that would allow one to walk like that.
 
I tend to agree with the chupacabra statement. A hybrid possibly with the marmot. The op's picture the head is not like any marmot shown in the picture the head is distinct and round and not as oval and the ears stick out a lot, whereas you can hardly see them here.
Also as stated the legs are taller with the stomach not as pronounced as other marmots.
 
I've never seen a groundhog/whistlepig/woodchuck/marmot standing/walking tall like that. The snout doesn't seem pointy enough either.
 
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