Being the largest or biggest species among the family of squirrels, groundhogs are hibernating animals.Groundhogs live in underground burrows for their safety and hibernation during winter. They can be found in the eastern and central parts of the United States along with Canada and Alaska.This large squirrel family is commonly known for their behavior and burrowing habits. These rodents are scientifically known as Marmota monax, and they are 20 in (50.8 cm) in length, with up to 7 in (17.78 cm) long tails! Their body weight is around 6-12 lb (2.72-5.44 kg). Groundhogs have brown or dark grey furry coats, and they have bushy tails with stout legs and curved claws. Their eyes are round in shape, and they have ears above their flat heads. This animal is also known as a woodchuck. They have a herbivorous diet and eat plants, grains, berries, nuts, occasionally insects, and other small animals. They live in burrows. These animals are also quite commonly found in the Southern Maine and South Carolina region. Maine groundhogs are generally known to hibernate for about 175 days, but only 67 days of hibernation can be seen among those residing in South Carolina.As per legend, it has long been believed that if woodchucks spot their shadow when first emerging from hibernation, another six weeks of winter will occur, but if they do not, then spring season is soon to come. This belief has earned great attention in American folklore. Groundhog day has been observed every year on February second, where people generally turn to groundhogs for a weather forecast.If you enjoyed this article, you should also read about the groundhog’s diet and groundhog’s burrow.Diet In WinterGroundhogs’ eating habits can cause severe damage and destruction to homes, which is why pest control has been used by humans. Primarily, groundhogs are known to be herbivores and greatly depend on crops and plants. Sometimes, they also feed on small insects.Flowers, lettuce, mulberry, trees, carrot, celery, and other plant-based foods, along with grasshoppers, snails, bugs, and so on, are their main diet. These foods often attract groundhogs, which is why, if you happen to have them in your garden, you must protect them from groundhogs as they are ferocious eaters. The diet or eating patterns of groundhogs differ in different seasons. They feed from mid to late afternoon during the seasons of fall and spring. However, when it comes to the winter season, it is a fact that groundhogs do not feed or eat anything. Instead, they reserve their fat by feeding throughout the rest of the year (especially during the fall season) just to stay fat and warm and keep their body temperature high. They feed before the hibernation period, from October until February.Why Groundhogs HibernateGroundhog hibernation can be observed throughout the weeks of the winter months. From October until early February, they stay inactive in their winter dens to stay warm. During this period of time, their body temperature naturally drops, and their heart rate goes down. Groundhog hibernation helps them survive extremely cold weather.The hibernation period of woodchucks lasts for between three to five of the winter months in total. Groundhog burrows consist of more than two entrances, which helps them to escape dangerous predators. The main reason why these animals hibernate is believed to be due to dietary requirements. Throughout winter, in several regions, food scarcity is quite common. This makes it difficult for woodchucks to find and forage for food. Therefore, their appetite hormones and metabolism have to adjust in relation to the cold conditions. When warmer weather approaches, they stop their hibernation period.How Groundhogs Prepare For WinterWhen hibernation time nears, male groundhogs emerge and join the females’ burrow. This is the start of the mating season since males start an exploration of mating options. Breeding season begins during the early spring season, right after the hibernation period, and young groundhogs are usually born around early April. These woodchucks belong to the family marmot, which is also known as the whistle pig, because of the type of sound that they make with the help of their large teeth for warning each other of risks.Before winter approaches, during late summer, a woodchuck generally prepares well. Their goals include gaining weight, eating lots, and reserving a great amount of fat to stabilize their heart rates throughout the winter. In case winters get longer than usual, this animal often finds it difficult to survive in their burrows, and many lose their lives while hibernating. Some of them also store or stack up some food to survive during winter until spring arrives. This is especially important if it is going to be six weeks late.How Groundhogs Spend Their WinterRight from September until late April, a woodchuck stays inactive and hidden. They reside in a burrow throughout winter for hibernation and also in the summer months to keep them cool. They feed themselves and eat nutritious food to gain weight and stay warm. This also helps them to maintain a stable heart rate during the cold season.Woodchucks spend the whole winter in hibernation. They hibernate to stay alive and survive the cold. They do not even peep out, eat, or forage for food when winter arrives. Instead, they enclose themselves inside a burrow. Once winter is over, they come out of their burrows for the spring, summer, and fall seasons. Every February second, known as groundhog day in the US, is a day when many people look to a groundhog for climate temperature predictions, such as if winter will last longer or not.When do they hibernate?Groundhog has been observed to hibernate from the month of October to the month of February or March, and sometimes even April if winter lasts longer. However, this depends on the region that they reside in.It is quite common for a groundhog to hibernate during the winter so that it survives harsh, cold weather. Some may hibernate earlier than others, while others may hibernate later than others, depending on the seasonal changes of the region they are in. Their fall months are spent eating rich, proteinous food to gain weight and fat for hibernation.What happens to their bodies?A groundhog has a body covered in soft furs to protect itself from different climate conditions.Woodchucks’ body temperatures go down to about 37 F (37.77 C). This helps their body to adapt to the cold and survive the harsh climate outside. During their hibernation stage, they lose more than half of their body weight, which they gain by eating during other seasons. This is why it is important for them to eat lots of proteins and rich, nutritious food before hibernating.Emerging from HibernationDuring the early spring season, groundhogs generally emerge from hibernation. For more than four months, they stayed hidden and hungry in their burrow.This is why, as soon as winter is over, they emerge from their inactive stage and start to forage for food and mating partners to give birth to their young. Groundhogs pretty much continue with their daily life after a long break. After hibernation, their metabolism and appetites start to revive again. They start to look for vegetables or insects too. In certain cases, they start preparing for the next winter, by feeding themselves with good food.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for ‘Do groundhogs hibernate?’, then why not take a look at ‘Do groundhogs climb trees?’ or ‘Groundhog facts’?
Being the largest or biggest species among the family of squirrels, groundhogs are hibernating animals.
