Alpine marmot vs Buckelwal

Marmota marmota compared with Megaptera novaeangliae

Key Differences

Alpine marmot is Least Concern while Buckelwal is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Alpine marmot	Buckelwal
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (Mammals)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Rodentia (Rodents)	Cetacea (Whales & Dolphins)
Family	Sciuridae (Squirrels)	Balaenopteridae (Rorquals)
Genus	Marmota	Megaptera (Humpback Whales)
Species	Marmota marmota	Megaptera novaeangliae

Evolutionary Relationship

Alpine marmot and Buckelwal share a common ancestor at the Class level: Mammalia. (Mammals)

View Class: Mammalia

Conservation Status

Alpine marmot

LC — Least Concern

Buckelwal

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~80.0K

Trend: Increasing ↑

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Alpine marmot	Buckelwal
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	50 years
Average Length	—	15.0 m
Average Weight	—	30.0 t

Habitat & Geographic Range

Alpine marmot

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Andorra, Czech Republic, Italy, and Spain.

Buckelwal

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, among 11 distinct biome types. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (5 countries), and South America (Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela). Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Alpine marmot

The Alpine marmot (Marmota marmota) is a species in the genus Marmota. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Distributed across Andorra, Czech Republic, Italy, and Spain.

Buckelwal

Among the most acrobatic of the great whales, humpback whales are renowned for their complex, haunting songs sung by males during breeding season — some lasting hours and evolving over time. Reaching 16 meters and 30 tonnes, they undertake the longest migrations of any mammal. Found in all oceans, humpbacks feed on krill and small fish using cooperative bubble-net feeding. Populations have largely recovered from historic whaling.