Marmota himalayana Genome sequencing and assembly. Marmota himalayana

Himalayan marmot dwelled in Himalayan regions of China, India, Nepal and Pakistan. Compared with other plateau animals, it has a unique feature, excavating deep burrows shared by colony members, and may have specific adaptations for living in cold, hypoxic, and intensity UV radiation environment. It is also characterized by having high susceptibility to woodchuck hepatitis virus (WHV), a resemblance of human hepatitis B virus; being a natural host and transmitter for plague in humans, which makes them a potential animal model for studying hepatitis B virus and plague infection, as well as for drug safety evaluation. Regardless of this, the genetic bases responsible for these physiological features are not fully defined.