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Scientific classification
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Binomial name |
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Marmota monax |
The groundhog (Marmota
monax), also known as the woodchuck, or whistlepig, is a rodent
of the family Sciuridae, belonging to the group of large ground squirrels known
as marmots. Most marmots, such as yellow-bellied and hoary marmots, live in
rocky and mountainous areas, but the woodchuck is a lowland creature. It is
widely distributed in North America and common in the eastern and central
United States. In the west it is found only in Alaska, Alberta, British
Columbia and northern Washington.
The groundhog is the
largest sciurid in its geographical range, typically measuring 40 to 65 cm (17
to 26 in) long (including a 15 cm tail) and weighing 2 to 4 kg. In areas
with fewer natural predators and large quantities of alfalfa, groundhogs can
grow to 80 cm (32 in) and 14 kg (30 lb). Groundhogs are well adapted for
digging, with short but powerful limbs and curved, thick claws. The tail is
only about one-fourth of body length, much shorter than that of other sciurids.
Suited to their temperate habitat, groundhogs are covered with two coats of
fur: a dense grey undercoat and a longer coat of banded guard hairs that gives
the groundhog its distinctive "frosted" appearance.
Groundhogs can live up to
six years in the wild, and ten years in captivity. Their diet consists of
grasses, clover, Plantago, garden vegetables, leaves, twigs, apples,
berries, and dandelion (Whitaker and Hamilton, 1998). They are not as omnivorous
as many other sciurids, but will sometimes eat small animals such as insects
and snails.
A
nearly-motionless individual, alert to danger, will whistle when alarmed to warn
other groundhogs.
Groundhogs are excellent
burrowers, using burrows for sleeping, rearing young, and hibernating. The Wall
Street Journal quotes wildlife expert Richard Thomas as calculating that the
average groundhog moves approximately 1 m³ (35 cubic feet), or 320 kg (700 pounds),
of dirt when digging a burrow. Though groundhogs are the most solitary of the
marmots, the same burrow may be occupied by several individuals. Groundhog
burrows generally have between two and five entrances, providing groundhogs
their primary means of escape from predators. Burrows are particularly large,
with up to 45 feet of tunnels buried up to 5 feet underground, and can pose a
serious threat to agricultural and residential development by damaging farm
machinery and even undermining building foundations.[1]
Groundhogs prefer to flee
from would-be predators, and usually retreat to their burrows when threatened. However,
if the burrow is invaded, the groundhog will tenaciously defend itself with its
two large incisors and front claws. Additionally, groundhogs are generally
agonistic and territorial among their own species, and may skirmish to
establish dominance.
Common predators for
groundhogs include wolves, coyotes, and large hawks and owls. Young groundhogs
are often at risk for predation by snakes, which easily enter the burrow.
Outside their burrow,
individuals are alert when not actively feeding. It is common to see one or
more nearly-motionless individuals standing erect on their hind feet watching
for danger. When alarmed, they use a high-pitched whistle to warn the rest of
the colony.[2]
Usually groundhogs breed in
their second year, but a small percentage may breed as yearlings. The breeding
season extends from early March to middle or late April, following hibernation.
A mated pair will remain in the same den throughout the 28-32 day gestation
period. As birth of the young approaches in April or May, the male will leave
the den. One litter is produced annually, usually containing 2-6 blind, naked
and helpless young. Young groundhogs are weaned and ready to seek their own dens
at five to six weeks of age.
The groundhog prefers open
country and the edges of woodland, though it is rarely far from a burrow
entrance. Since the clearing of forests provided it with much more suitable habitat,
the groundhog population is probably higher now than it was before the arrival
of European settlers in North America. Groundhogs are often hunted for sport,
which tends to control their numbers. However, their ability to reproduce
quickly has tended to mitigate the depopulating effects of sport hunting.[1] As a consequence, the groundhog is a familiar
animal to many people in the United States and Canada.
Groundhogs raised in
captivity can be socialized relatively easily; however, their aggressive nature
can pose problems. Doug Schwartz, a zookeeper and groundhog trainer at the Staten
Island Zoo, has been quoted as saying "They’re known for their aggression,
so you’re starting from a hard place. (Their) natural impulse is to kill ’em
all and let God sort ’em out. You have to work to produce the sweet and cuddly."[3]
In the United States and
Canada, there is a Groundhog Day celebration that gives the groundhog some
added popularity.
The etymology of the name woodchuck
is unrelated to wood. It stems from an Algonquian name for the animal (possibly
Narragansett), wuchak. The apparent relationship between the two words
has led to the common tongue twister: "How much wood would a woodchuck
chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? — A woodchuck would chuck all the wood
that a woodchuck could if a woodchuck could chuck wood". Because of the
rhyming words it is possible for the teller of the folksy tale to use
personalized variations in the second verse, examples include:
Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Groundhog&action=history
http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html