This groundhog came from HERE

It spends the warm months eating and eating and eating. They eat green plants, alfalfa, clovers and seeds. All of the food is turned into fat so the animal will survive during its hibernation. While the groundhog is sleeping, it only breathes every six minutes! Don't try doing that! Humans can only go about 1 to 2 minutes without breathing before passing out!

Below is a picture of a burrow. This is where the groundhog hibernates. It looks kind of cool doesn't it?

This map can be found HERE!

Burrows contain many different chambers. Just like a house has many different rooms. There are three exits; front, back and a drophole. This hole opens into a straight shaft that goes down two or more feet. Imagine a tunnel slide that goes straight down, that's what a shaft is like.

The groundhog digs its own burrows that are part of a colony. They dig with their front claws and scrape the dirt out of the hole with their hind feet. Some tunnels connecting different burrows can be up to 30 feet! That's almost as high as a some houses! Burrows are in fields, open woodlands and slopes of mountains. The groundhog also tried to hide the entrance to the burrow with grasses and leaves. This makes it snug and warm during the winter.

The groundhog is a very special animal for deciding when spring begins. It is said that on February 2 a groundhog is supposed to come out of its burrow. If he sees his shadow, he will get frightened and go back into his hole for 6 more weeks. If it is a cloudy day and he does not see his shadow, he will come out and play! This means that spring will come soon!


To learn more about groundhogs check out these sites!

The Official Groundhog Site: Learn lots of interesting stuff about groundhogs including more information on how they get ready for winter!

Groundhog Day: It's February 2nd--do you know what that means? Will the groundhog see its shadow? Learn the history of Groundhog's Day and much more!

The Groundhogs at Hog Haven: See some great pictures of groundhogs and go on a groundhog tour with a dog as your host!


Go back to the Hibernation page.

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