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About Groundhogs
About Groundhogs
The groundhog, or woodchuck, is one of 14 species of marmots.
These rodents live a feast-or-famine lifestyle and gorge themselves
all summer to build up plentiful reserves of fat. After the first frost,
they retreat to their underground burrows and snooze until spring,
drawing their sustenance from body fat. While hibernating, the
animal's heart rate plunges, and its body temperature is not much
warmer than the temperature inside its burrow.
Groundhog hibernation gave rise to the popular American custom of
Groundhog Day, held on the second of February every year. Tradition
dictates that if a groundhog sees its shadow that day, there will be six
more weeks of winter, though such a prediction seems a sure bet over
much of the groundhog's North American range.
In the spring, females welcome a litter of perhaps a half dozen
newborns, which stay with their mother for several months.
Groundhogs are the largest members of the squirrel family. Though they
are usually seen on the ground, they can climb trees and are also capable
swimmers. These rodents frequent the areas where woodlands meet open
spaces, like fields, roads, or streams. Here they eat grasses and plants
as well as fruits and tree bark. Groundhogs are the bane of many a gardener.
They can decimate a plot while voraciously feeding during the summer and
fall seasons.
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