A Woodchuck Would Chuck Wood
With Groundhog Day and the annual appearance of Punxsutawney Phil coming up on February 2, we thought it would be a good idea to dig a little deeper into the animal behind it all.
So what exactly is a groundhog?
“Basically, a groundhog is a large ground squirrel,” explains Mike Dulaney, Curator of Mammals at the Cincinnati Zoo. Dulaney has been with the zoo for 34 years, and is our guide into what makes a groundhog a groundhog. “There are ground squirrels, tree squirrels, and even flying squirrels. And groundhogs belong to the group of ground squirrels.”
We hate to be the ones to break it to you, but this means that groundhogs are rodents. But don’t let this label diminish your opinion of them. Dulaney says that “there are over 3,000 species of mammals segmented as rodents.” Being a rodent just means that they have two upper and two lower incisors that grow throughout their lives. This is why rodents seem to be constantly chewing on something. If their teeth are not gnawed down and kept in check, they could literally grow into their own heads.
Groundhogs – also known as woodchucks, land beavers, and whistle pigs – are herbivores and usually weigh about five to 10 pounds. They can live anywhere from five to seven years in the wild, or 10 to 12 in captivity. They are mostly solitary creatures that hibernate through winter, mate in the spring, and molt into the summer. It only takes about a month for a female groundhog to gestate, typically resulting in four or five chucklings.
“Since most of their predators have been pushed back by humans, groundhogs are quite prevalent in the eastern United States, as well as all of Canada and into Alaska,” adds Dulaney. So don’t be surprised to see them in your own backyard or at a nearby park. I myself have seen several groundhogs hanging out beside I-71 near the Smith-Edwards exit.
Everyone knows that beavers build dams – that’s their thing. But what ecological purpose do groundhogs serve? “There task is to predict the weather,” Dulaney jokes. “They don’t really have a purpose like beavers or some other animals do. I mean, all animals serve some type of role in the big picture, but some more than others. Groundhogs do burrow a lot, so they aerate the soil. And being herbivores, they keep certain plant species from overgrowing.”
Then why all the fuss about the groundhog? Dulaney thinks that its just easier to pick up a groundhog than some of the other animals that hibernate, like bears. There are lots of animals that hibernate and can help you gauge when winter might be thawing by when they choose to rejoin the rest of the world. But the groundhog is cute, cuddly and easily coaxed from its hole for a good photo opp. A black bear might not be as accommodating.
Punxsutawney Phil is by far the most famous weather-predicting woodchuck. According to the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, there has only been one Phil in the 122 year history of the event, and his predictions have never been wrong.
Not to be outdone by our neighbors in Pennsylvania, Ohio has its own meteorological marmot. Buckeye Chuck hails from Marion, Ohio (north of Columbus), and has been predicting the weather since the 1970’s. According to Ohio History Central, “from late September until early April, Buckeye Chuck spends his time hibernating. On February 2, against his will, Chuck emerges from his sleep to predict the weather. In 1979, the Ohio legislature made Buckeye Chuck Ohio’s official groundhog.”
Phil predicted 6 more weeks of winter. Does that mean he saw his shadow or not?
It’s more winter ahead if he sees his shadow. Buckeye Chuck predicted the same thing
It looked like the groundhogs knew what they were talking about for like a week. But it’s been above 50 for a few days now. It even hit 60 once. Guess they have as good a shot as weather men.