Squirrels of Michigan #3: Grandiose Groundhogs

It’s the third installment of Squirrels of Michigan, a series all about the different squirrel species that live in our state! This week is all about the wonderful groundhog: a species that gets lots of attention around this time for its role in a yearly holiday.

The groundhog, Marmota Monax, is the largest member of the squirrel family to inhabit Michigan. It’s typically around 25 inches long (including tail), and has a stocky frame with short legs. Marmota Monax can thrive in many different environments, but it prefers meadows or clearings near the outskirts of woodlands.

Groundhogs are omnivores, primarily consuming grasses, fruits, leaves, and bark, but also occasionally eating insects and eggs. They’re diurnal foragers who look for food during the morning and afternoon in periods that last less than two hours. If threatened by predators while foraging, they will let out a high pitched whistle to warn other groundhogs of danger.

They create extensive burrowing systems with lots of different chambers and tunnels. Some can even have up to 10 separate entrances! This creates a safe spot for their young to be raised in. Groundhogs have one litter a year, usually with four to six pups. The pups stay in the burrow with their mother for about two to three months.

In addition to being an ideal location for groundhog pups, the burrows also provide shelter for their winter hibernation. During a period of around 150 days, groundhogs curl up into a ball in their burrow and slow their heart rate from 80 beats per minute to 5 per minute.

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This species is the star of Groundhog Day, a tradition celebrated annually in Canada and the United States. Observed every February 2 since the 1800s, the celebration is based on the belief that if a groundhog emerges from its burrow and sees its shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter, and if not, spring will be coming soon.

The most famous of these ceremonies is located in Pennsylvania, featuring Punxsutawney Phil. However, there’s also a weather predicting groundhog in Michigan! Woody the Woodchuck, located in Howell Nature Center, has been the official groundhog for our state since 1999. Check the event out if you want to see a groundhog in action!

Sources

NAVA TABATA

Editor at The City Voice

Nava is currently a senior at City. She has been writing for The City Voice since her sophomore year and now serves as an editor. Although she enjoys covering a wide range of subjects, her favorite topics to write about are history and ecology. Outside of the newspaper, you can usually find her playing violin in City’s pit orchestra, volunteering at her local library, or going on walks to observe the antics of her neighborhood squirrels.