Posted on 02/02/2004 10:44:54 AM PST by apackof2
On Friday morning, 7:30 a.m., February 2,
Ohio's official groundhog, Buckeye Chuck of Marion, stepped out of his lair in snowy, overcast weather. He did not see his shadow. According to legend, Ohioans can expect an early spring.
The first day of Spring, March 20, is 46 days from February 2.
The groundhog, also referred to as a woodchuck or whistle-pig, is a rodent related to ground squirrels and prairie dogs. It's stout-bodied, weighing up to 14 pounds, with reddish-brown or brown fur and black feet. While on average, groundhogs live for two years, some live for five or six. They're active during the day, feeding mainly on low green vegetation, such as grasses and leaves. They feed standing upright, on the look-out for predators, which often turns out to be farmers, who regard groundhogs as a nuisance for damaging farm crops.
Groundhogs make their dens in well-drained locations, seeking forest edges, areas of heavy brush, brushy fencerows, creeksides, and any undisturbed cover near farm land. A groundhog's enthusiastic digging gets it into trouble again with farmers, since the holes may damage farm machinery and building foundations. Dens are dug up to five feet underground and up to 30 feet long. A main entrance is supplemented with several "secret" entrances/exits to escape predators. The den contains several cozy rooms where they raise their young and hibernate.
The groundhog is a true hibernator, relying on body fat for winter survival. During hibernation (October to April), it rolls up into a ball with its heads between its hind legs and front paws together around its shoulders. The heartbeat slows, body temperature drops, and respiration decreases. It's in a deep sleep, waking only during the occasional warm spell in winter, and in spring. A groundhog can lose up to one-half of its body weight during the winter hibernation.
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