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GROUNDHOG
Marmota monax
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Buddy,
a male groundhog,
came to Cedar Run in the spring of 2001. He was found shivering
and hungry in a family's backyard. A car had killed his mother and
sisters.
The people
who found Buddy kept him for several weeks, but
groundhogs (like other wild animals) do not make good pets. During
that time, he became imprinted and lost his fear of humans. For
that reason, Buddy cannot be returned to the wild.
Since it
is difficult to tell the sex of an immature groundhog,
for about a year Buddy was known as "Rosebud"!
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Groundhog Facts
- Also called woodchucks or
whistle pigs
- Large, stout-bodied, short-legged
mammal
- Closely related to squirrels
- Common New Jersey resident
- Found in fields, woodlots,
open forests, and clearings near roadsides.
- Expert digger that constructs
multi-room underground burrow
- Is diurnal,
or active during the daytime (early morning and late afternoon)
- Is a herbivore,
or vegetarian, eating a wide variety of wild plants, clover and
alfalfa, and garden vegetables if available.
- Able to climb trees and
swim.
- Will whistle loudly to warn
of danger and also may chatter, hiss, and growl.
- Never travels far from its
burrow and will dive into it for cover when alarmed
- Solitary
animal, except for mothers with babies
- Two to seven young are born
in April or May.
- Is a "true" hibernator,
surviving solely on stored body fat throughout winter
- Lifespan: 6 years in the
wild, 10 years in captivity
Links
to more facts about groundhogs/woodchucks:
http://www.biokids.umich.edu/critters/information/Marmota_monax
http://www.hensonrobinsonzoo.org/g001.html
http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/marmota/m._monax$narrative.html
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