Groundhog Day

Yesterday was Groundhog Day, so I thought I would write a little about this fascinating animal.  The groundhog is also known as the woodchuck, whistle pig, and marmot.  It is a type of marmot in the family sciuridae (squirrel) family, and is the biggest member of that family in Minnesota.  It is anywhere from 13 - 28 inches long, and weighs 4 - 14 pounds.

The groundhog eats green vegetation such as leaf buds, grasses, and flowers.  It especially enjoys dandelions.

Groundhogs are most active in the morning and evening, and usually do not stray far from the den.  The summer den usually has multiple entrances, and the separate winter den generally has one entrance.  Dens may go down 5 feet, and be 30 feet long.  Unlike its western marmot cousins, the groundhog is usually solitary.

The groundhog is a true hibernator.  Depending on the location, these animals will go into hibernation in September or October, and emerge anywhere from January to March.  The body temperature goes from 90 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit.  Its pulse goes from 75 - 4 beats per minute.  The groundhog's respiration rate goes down to 1 breath every 6 minutes.

Breeding occurs shortly after hibernation, and the young are born after a 30 day gestation period.  The 3 - 7 young open their eyes after a month, are off of their mother's milk around 6 weeks, and are on their own in 8 - 10 weeks.  There is one brood per year.

It was partially sunny on the Gunflint Trail for Groundhog Day (see picture above).  I did not see any of them today, but if I had, they would have been looking at their shadow.  According to the legend, there will be six more weeks of winter.  In reality, we have hit the halfway point between the beginning of winter and the beginning of spring, which is celebrated in many ways around the world.

The sources I used for this article were Stokes Guide to Animal Tracking and Behavior by Donald & Lillian Stokes, and the Mammals of Minnesota Field Guide by Stan Tekiela.