The yellow bellied marmot utilizes a home range, with a mating/nesting territory within it. The median home-range size was 1.02 hectares. In a study carried out by Salisbury (1994), female distribution and male population density influences the home-range size of males. However, the male home-range size was not influenced by the number of females being defended or the body mass of the male under study. The results of this study show that the density and distribution of females affects male marmot behavior, but we should not assume these to be the only factors. Environmental conditions and distribution of habitat may also play a role (Salisbury 1994).

The yellow-bellied marmot lives in colonies of polygynous harems that are within their homeranges. The harems consist of generally one male, 2-5 related females, yearlings, and the young of the year. Several harems (which form the colony) may dwell in the same burrow. The alpha male defends the burrow, making it a mating/nesting territory. The only reason it is not considered a classical territory is because the marmots have to leave the boulders to feed because the food on the boulders is quite scarce. There may be peripheral males that live on the outskirts of the home ranges as well.

There are also satellite populations which generally consist of one or two marmots. Young may be present, but yearlings rarely are. The reproductive rate of satellite females are generally lower than that of colonial females. Satellites have fewer burrows than colonial marmots who have burrows in excess. Noncolonial females do not enjoy the benefit of forming matrilines, which is the prime benefit of colonial living (Lenihan 1996). Predation is a much greater threat to satellite marmots than colonial marmots. The greatest cause of mortality in colonial marmots is due to hibernation.

Some studies show that the social spacing of the yellow-bellied marmot is highly correlated with their individual behavior, as well as environmental/resource factors. Svendsen (1974) declared three marmot classifications: aggressive, social, and avoider. Aggressive marmots tend to occupy small harems at larger sites or be solitary regardless of site size. Social marmots primarily inhabit harems at large sites. Avoider marmots were observed to live in peripheral sites in colonies or in satellites (Svendsen 1974).