Yellow-bellied Marmot

We saw this lump lying on the road the other day. Sort of looks like road kill, doesn't it? 

But it twitched, and we knew it was alive.

And then it lifted its head and revealed itself as a harbor seal. Nope, not quite, but in the fuzzy photo it sort of looks like a seal that's hauled itself out on an iceberg.

This little guy is a yellow-bellied marmot (Marmota flaviventris), one of the laziest animals in the world.

You see, although the marmot might look busy digging out the road and eating nice green vegetation, it will soon disappear from sight. That's because it goes into its burrow and hibernates for up to 9 months of the year. 

What a life!