Groundhog Facts
On February 2, Punxsutawney Phil – the famous weather-predicting groundhog – will emerge from his burrow at Gobblers Knob in Pennsylvania to make his prediction about our winter weather. Scientists know that groundhogs in Pennsylvania hibernate for about 100 days, from November to February. But what if Phil lived in South Carolina…or Maine? Believe it or not, groundhogs living in different parts of the country hibernate for different periods of time. South Carolina’s groundhogs hibernate for 67 days, while Maine’s groundhogs hibernate for 175 days. Scientists aren’t sure yet whether these differences happen because of environmental factors – like varied weather conditions – or if hibernation patterns are genetically-determined.
Think that’s interesting? Here are a few more fun groundhog facts:
- Groundhogs are one of the few “true hibernators.” True hibernators can reduce their body temperatures to nearly freezing and lower their heart rates from as many as 350 beats per minute to just four beats per minute while they sleep away the winter.
- Groundhogs – also known as woodchucks – don’t move or “chuck” wood as efficiently as beavers. But…how much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? One wildlife biologist estimated that if the typical groundhog’s burrow was filled with wood instead of dirt, the animal would have “chucked” about 700 pounds!
Season: Winter
(Sources: Pennsylvania State University, 2009. “Professor studies groundhog hibernation to benefit mankind.” http://live.psu.edu/story/37300; “The Big Sleep.” http://www.enature.com/articles/detail.asp?storyID=409; Cornell Chronicle. “Groundhog Day Facts and Factoids.” www.news.cornell.edu)
