{"id":60351,"date":"2021-02-01T17:36:47","date_gmt":"2021-02-01T22:36:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/naturalsciences.org\/calendar\/?post_type=news&p=60351"},"modified":"2021-02-03T15:45:16","modified_gmt":"2021-02-03T20:45:16","slug":"about-groundhogs","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/naturalsciences.org\/calendar\/news\/about-groundhogs\/","title":{"rendered":"About Groundhogs"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Lisa J. Gatens<\/a>, Collection Manager, Mammalogy<\/em><\/p>\n

There\u2019s something squirrely about groundhogs. They are squirrels, and sometimes exhibit squirrely behavior.\u00a0 Groundhogs are the largest members of the Sciuridae, or the squirrel family. You are likely familiar with at least some other members of this family in North Carolina: the northern flying squirrel, southern flying squirrel, red squirrel, eastern gray squirrel, fox squirrel, or eastern chipmunk.\u00a0 Members of the Sciuridae can be found on all continents except Australia and Antarctica but are absent on many islands around the world.\u00a0 They show a great range in size and color patterns as well as habits and habitats.<\/p>\n

We can divide squirrels by their periods of activity into nocturnal squirrels, which are active at night (like flying squirrels), and diurnal squirrels, which go about their business during daylight hours. \u00a0We can also consider whether they spend most<\/strong> of their time in trees or on the ground.\u00a0 Any squirrel may spend some<\/strong> time in either trees or on the ground, but chipmunks and groundhogs are the only North Carolina species we consider to be ground squirrels.\u00a0 Squirrels typically have large eyes and a long, bushy tail.\u00a0 The more time that species of squirrels spend in trees, the longer and bushier their tails are. The squirrel that is the focus of this post has the shortest (relative to overall length) and least bushy tail of all North Carolina sciurids<\/a>, the groundhog.<\/p>\n

\"Standing<\/p>\n

Groundhogs come in various shades of brown, gray, or cinnamon.\u00a0 Long, dark guard hairs have white tips and give an overall grizzled appearance to their fur.\u00a0 Their tails are well furred, and are about \u00bc of the body length.\u00a0 They have short, rounded ears, black noses and black feet.\u00a0 Though they make themselves look larger when standing on their hind feet, which they do often, they are only about the size of a housecat.\u00a0 Females may be a little larger than males and weigh as much as 13 pounds.<\/p>\n

Our largest squirrel is known by several names including whistle pig, woodchuck and land beaver.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know where the name groundhog comes from, except that they are rather chunky and use underground burrows.\u00a0 The other most often-used common name for this animal \u2014 woodchuck \u2014 likely has Native American origins. Wuchak, wejack or otcheck are names used by indigenous peoples for the groundhog.\u00a0 The Latin name, Marmota monax<\/em>, has origins in Native American languages with monax<\/em> meaning \u201cdigger.\u201d\u00a0 The rarer and whimsical name, \u201cwhistle pig,\u201d is easy enough to decipher.\u00a0 Groundhogs will emit high-pitched alarm calls when they perceive danger. While I\u2019ve never heard anyone refer to groundhogs as land beavers, this name also has an origin that\u2019s pretty easy to guess. They do superficially resemble beavers, though are considerably smaller and lack the paddle tail, of course.\u00a0 Interestingly enough, groundhogs are good swimmers and can either take to the water or climb trees to escape predators.<\/p>\n

\"Climbing<\/p>\n

Groundhogs use different dens during the summer and winter.\u00a0 Summer dens are often quite large and have multiple openings.\u00a0 These burrows are situated near foraging areas, and foraging areas are often along ecotones, or edges of woods and fields.\u00a0 Edge habitat is important for a variety of species as it generally offers both foraging opportunities and cover.\u00a0 Groundhogs mainly eat herbaceous plants: grasses, clover, dandelion, and of course, garden vegetables. They may also consume insects, snails, eggs, and buds of woody plants.<\/p>\n

Females give birth in the spring to four to six blind and naked young.\u00a0 Young grow quickly and can begin to eat green vegetation brought into the burrow by the mother at about four weeks of age.\u00a0 Soon after, they can begin to leave the burrow to forage on their own.\u00a0 Because they are not social animals, the young do not engage in play, but immediately begin to exhibit adult behavior of digging and burrowing \u2013 skills that will serve them when they are on their own in mid-summer.<\/p>\n

\"Groundhog<\/p>\n

The summer dens are kept clean, with loose soil being swept out to the surface.\u00a0 Adults and young alike bury their feces, either in a discreet location within the burrow system or just outside an opening.\u00a0 By the end of summer, each groundhog will increase its weight by 1\/3.\u00a0 Shortening days trigger the onset of hibernation.\u00a0 A chemical which circulates in their blood signals a drop in internal temperature to just above freezing and a rapid decrease in heartrate.\u00a0 In fact, blood serum taken from a hibernating groundhog can initiate hibernation out of season when injected into the same individual within three days of injection.<\/p>\n

Winter dens are small, have a single opening, and are established in more protected areas like woods or brushy areas.\u00a0 Their only purpose is to provide a safe shelter for an individual during hibernation.\u00a0 Hibernation lasts three or four months, or maybe less in our Piedmont and Coastal Plain groundhogs.\u00a0 Males typically emerge before females to establish their territory in preparation for spring mating.\u00a0 They typically do not stay out after that initial emergence but return to their den when temperatures are not favorable.\u00a0 It is this behavior that is thought to be behind the Groundhog Day tradition.<\/p>\n

When Europeans first arrived in this country, groundhogs were not so common.\u00a0 But, as forests were cleared and roads were established, that vital edge habitat allowed for a range expansion and for populations to flourish.\u00a0 Their range expansion in North Carolina is clearly displayed in this map.<\/p>\n

\"Groundhog<\/a><\/p>\n

Groundhogs are solitary animals, though a large field may host dens of several individuals.\u00a0 Males and females only share a den during mating season and males are evicted before young are born. They are territorial and rely heavily on sight, sound and smell. \u00a0When standing on their hind legs they are watching, surveying their surroundings \u2013 vigilant. The high-pitched whistle is a warning cry to others that danger is near.\u00a0 And they use scent markings to establish and maintain territories.\u00a0 One definition I found for the word \u201csquirrely\u201d is \u201cnervous, hyper-concerned, protective\u2026,\u201d and most definitions pointed to nervous or anxious behavior.\u00a0 Vigilance can make a groundhog seem squirrely, I think.\u00a0 I hope you\u2019ve enjoyed reading about our largest squirrel!<\/p>\n

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