Groundhog - Wikipedia

"Woodchuck" redirects here. For other uses, see Groundhog (disambiguation) and Woodchuck (disambiguation). "Whistle Pig" redirects here. For the whiskey distillery, see WhistlePig.

The groundhog (Marmota monax), also known as the woodchuck, is a rodent of the family Sciuridae, belonging to the group of large ground squirrels known as marmots.[2] A lowland creature of North America, it is found through much of the Eastern United States, across Canada and into Alaska.[3] It was given its scientific name as Mus monax by Carl Linnaeus in 1758,[4] based on a description of the animal by George Edwards, published in 1743.[5]

Groundhog
Groundhog at Laval University campus, Quebec City, Canada
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Rodentia
Family:	Sciuridae
Genus:	Marmota
Species:	M. monax
Binomial name
Marmota monax(Linnaeus, 1758)
Subspecies
M. m. monax Linnaeus, 1758 M. m. canadensis Erxleben, 1777 M. m. ignava Bangs, 1899 M. m. rufescens A. H. Howell, 1914
Groundhog range in North America
Synonyms
Mus monax Linnaeus, 1758 Arctomys monax (Linnaeus, 1758)

The groundhog, being a lowland animal, is exceptional among marmots. Other marmots, such as the yellow-bellied and hoary marmots, live in rocky and mountainous areas. Groundhogs are considered one of the most solitary of marmot species. They live in aggregations, and their social organization and long-term pair bonds varies across populations. The groundhog's male and female interactions are usually limited to the mating season and copulation. However, certain populations of groundhogs have been observed to form long-term adult male-female association throughout the year, and often from year to year.[6][7]

The groundhog is an important contributor to the maintenance of healthy soil in woodlands and plains; as such, the species is considered a crucial habitat engineer.[8][9][10] The groundhog is an extremely intelligent animal, forming complex social networks and kinship with its young; it is capable of understanding social behavior, communicating threats through whistling, and working cooperatively to accomplish tasks such as burrowing.[11][12]

Contents

• 1 Etymology
• 2 Description
• 3 Distribution and habitat
• 4 Behavior
  • 4.1 Diet
  • 4.2 Burrows
  • 4.3 Hibernation
  • 4.4 Reproduction
• 5 Health and mortality
  • 5.1 Natural predators
• 6 Relationship with humans
• 7 References
• 8 Further reading
• 9 External links