Groundhog
Marmota monax
Groundhogs are true hibernators; during their winter sleep, their heart rate drops from 80 beats per minute to just 5, and their body temperature plummets to near freezing.
- Scientific name
- Marmota monax
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Chordata › Mammalia › Rodentia › Sciuridae › Marmota
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- grassland
- Habitat
- Woodland edges, open fields, pastures, meadows, and suburban yards.
- Diet
- Herbivorous, primarily feeding on wild grasses, clover, alfalfa, dandelions, berries, and agricultural crops.
- Range
- United States, Canada, Alaska
- Size
- 40 to 65 cm (16 to 26 inches) long; 2 to 6 kg (4 to 13 lbs) in weight
- Lifespan
- 3 to 6 years in the wild
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Vehicle collisions, localized extermination as agricultural pests, habitat fragmentation, and predation by coyotes, foxes, and domestic dogs.
- Safe to approach?
- Groundhogs are generally harmless but can become defensive and bite or scratch if cornered. Maintain a safe distance of at least 10 feet. Do not attempt to corner, feed, or handle them. If bitten or scratched, wash the wound thoroughly with warm water and soap, and seek medical attention immediately due to the risk of rabies.
The groundhog ( Marmota monax ), also known as a woodchuck , is a rodent of the family Sciuridae, belonging to the group of large ground squirrels known as marmots. It was first scientifically described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758. The groundhog is also referred to as a chuck , wood-shock , groundpig , whistlepig , whistler , thickwood badger , Canada marmot , monax , moonack , weenusk , and red monk . The name "thickwood badger" was given in the Northwest to distinguish the animal from the prairie...
Photo: Laura Mae, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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