Sometimes referred to as a woodchuck, the groundhog (Marmota
monax) is a member of the Sciuridae family and the order of Rodentia. They are
land mammals native to the United States
inhabiting a large area of land with a presence extending from Alaska
to Alabama. A groundhog can be as
long as 26 inches and weigh as much as nine pounds. The largest groundhogs that
don't have to deal with predators can be as long as 32 inches and weigh as much
as 30 pounds.
The average lifespan of the groundhog is two or three years
but can be as much as six years. Groundhogs have short arms and legs that make
them well equipped for digging. They have two coats of fur, one on top of the
other with the darker color underneath and the lighter ling fur on top. This keeps
them warm and accounts for their distinctive appearance.
Groundhogs are considered herbivores and eat shrubs and
shoots as well as grubs and beetles. They have a number of natural predators
including hawks, wolves, coyotes, foxes, bears and snakes. Groundhogs are good
swimmers and climbers and have a number of ways of escaping predators.
True hibernation is a mark of the groundhog who enter their
winter quarters (a separate burrow from their regular home) in October and
don't come out again until late March, early April. They survive on stored body
fat.
Groundhog Day takes place on February 2nd each
year. It is thought that the groundhog's reaction to sunlight and shadows is an
indicator over the mildness or severity of the remaining winter.