The groundhog (Marmota monax) is a type of marmot, which is a ground squirrel or rodent. It is familiar to Americans for its weather prognostication on Groundhog Day. The animal goes by many names, including woodchuck, groundpig, and monax. The name woodchuck refers neither to wood nor to chucking. Instead, it is an adaptation of the Algonquian name for the animal, wuchak.
Fast Facts: Groundhog
Scientific Name: Marmota monax
Common Names: Groundhog, woodchuck, whistlepig, monax, siffleux, thickwood badger
Basic Animal Group: Mammal
Size: 16-20 inches
Weight: 5-12 pounds
Lifespan: 2-3 years
Diet: Herbivore
Habitat: North America
Population: Abundant and stable
Conservation Status: Least Concern
Description
Within its range, the groundhog is the largest ground squirrel. Adults average between 16 and 20 inches long, including their 6-inch tail. The relatively short tail distinguishes this species from other ground squirrels. Groundhog weight varies dramatically throughout the year, but averages between 5 and 12 pounds. The animals tend to be brownish in color with four ivory incisor teeth. Groundhogs have short limbs that end in thick, curved claws suited to digging and climbing.
Habitat and Distribution
The groundhog gets its common name from its preference of open, low-elevation land, especially well-drained soil in fields and pastures. Groundhogs are found throughout Canada and in the eastern United States. Other types of marmots are common worldwide, but they tend to prefer rocky and mountainous habitats.
Technically, marmots are omnivorous, but groundhogs are more herbivorous than most species. They eat grass, berries, dandelion, coltsfoot, sorrel, and agricultural crops. However, they will supplement their diet with fallen baby birds, insects, snails, and grubs. Groundhogs do not need to drink water if they can obtain it from dew or plant juice. The rodents store fat and hibernate to survive winter rather than caching food.
Groundhogs are preyed upon by humans, foxes, coyotes, and dogs. Young may be taken by hawks and owls.
Reproduction and Offspring
Groundhogs are never found far from their burrows, which they dig in the soil and use for sleeping, escaping predators, raising young, and hibernating. Groundhogs mate after they rouse from hibernation in March or April. The pair remains in the den for the 31 or 32 days of gestation. The male leaves the den before the female gives birth. The usual litter consists of two to six blind pups that emerge from the den after their eyes have opened and their fur has grown. Near the end of summer, the young move off to build their own burrows. Groundhogs may breed the following spring, but most become mature at two years of age.
In the wild, most groundhogs live two to three years and up to six years. Captive groundhogs may live 14 years.
Conservation Status
The IUCN classifies groundhog conservation status as "least concern." The rodents are abundant across their range and have a stable population in most places. They are not a protected species.
Groundhogs and Humans
Groundhogs are hunted as pests, for fur, for food, and as trophies. Although the rodents eat crops, groundhog burrows improve the soil and house foxes, rabbits, and skunks. So, maintaining a controlled population of groundhogs is beneficial to farmers.
February 2nd is celebrated as Groundhog Day in the United States and Canada. The premise of the holiday is that groundhog behavior following hibernation may indicate the approach of spring.
Research on groundhogs given hepatitis-B may further understanding of liver cancer. The only other suitable animal model for the disease is the chimpanzee, which is endangered. The groundhog is also a model organism for studies on obesity and other metabolic disorders and heart disease.
While groundhogs may be kept as pets, they may display aggression toward their handlers. Usually sick or injured groundhogs may be rehabilitated for release back into the wild, but some do form bonds with their caregivers.
Sources
Bezuidenhout, A. J. and Evans, Howard E. Anatomy of the woodchuck (Marmota monax). Lawrence, KS: American Society of Mammalogists, 2005. ISBN 9781891276439.
Grizzell, Roy A. "A Study of the Southern Woodchuck, Marmota monax monax". American Midland Naturalist. 53 (2): 257, April, 1955. doi:10.2307/2422068
Linzey, A. V.; Hammerson, G. (NatureServe) & Cannings, S. (NatureServe). "Marmota monax". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.3. International Union for Conservation of Nature, 2008. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T42458A22257685.en
Schoonmaker, W.J. The World of the Woodchuck. J.B. Lippincott, 1966. ISBN 978-1135544836.OCLC 62265494
Thorington, R.W., Jr. and R. S. Hoffman. "Family Sciuridae". In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M. Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 802, 2005. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0.
Groundhogs live near rocky outcrops from valley bottoms to alpine tundra, but they avoid dense forest. They are active mostly at dawn and dusk. Groundhogs are exceptional diggers and will use their claws to create an intricate system of underground burrows, which even include a separate “bathroom” chamber!
But did you know that there's more to these critters than just their ability to predict the weather? Here are some interesting facts about groundhogs: Groundhogs are excellent diggers. They have powerful legs and sharp claws that they use to dig burrows that can be up to 30 feet long and 6 feet deep.
5. Groundhogs are among the few species of true hibernators. This is the part of their behavior that has led to North American Groundhog Day tradition. After losing up to half their weight while hibernating, groundhogs usually emerge from their winter burrows in February—hence the date of this holiday.
There has only been one Punxsutawney Phil. He has been making predictions since 1886! Punxsutawney Phil gets his longevity from drinking the "elixir of life," a secret recipe. Phil takes one sip every summer at the Groundhog Picnic and it magically gives him seven more years of life.
Favorite foods include alfalfa, clover, peas, beans, lettuce, broccoli, plantain, and soybeans. Groundhogs will often devour your seedlings before they even have time to grow. Rabbits and deer eat some of the same plants, so make sure to check for burrows before concluding that you have groundhogs.
Groundhogs are an extremely intelligent animal, forming complex social networks, able to understand social behavior, form kinship with their young, understand and communicate threats through whistling, and work cooperatively to solve tasks such as burrowing.
Sleeping is their favorite hobby. Few animals are as dedicated to hibernating as groundhogs. Known as “true hibernators,” they snooze from late fall to late winter or early spring, which can mean up to as many as six months of deep sleep, depending on their climate.
They do have a rather unusual greeting, however, in those rare times when they meet each other. When this happens, one groundhog will touch its nose to the mouth of the other groundhog, Scientific American reports. You might call it kissing, but scientists call it naso-oral contact.
Baby groundhogs go by several names. They can be called pups, kits, and cubs. Groundhogs usually give birth to litters with around three to six pups, though they can occasionally give birth to 10 young in some litters. Adult groundhogs are also called woodchucks and even whistlepigs.
The groundhog has several nicknames, including “woodchuck,” “land beaver” and “whistlepig.” Woodchuck likely originates from a Native American word, wejack or woodshaw, and may have roots in the Algonquian name for the animal, wuchak.
On average, the groundhog lifespan is three years. Their short lifespan can be attributed, in part, to their susceptibility to predators, such as coyotes, foxes, bobcats, hawks, owls and even household pets (e.g., dogs).
Like many animals, groundhogs are typically solitary, only coming together to mate. They do have a rather unusual greeting, however, in those rare times when they meet each other.
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