Photo © 2003 Alan Freed, PunxsutawneyPhil.com

Groundhogs

The Groundhog to your left is Punxsutawney Phil - arguably the most famous groundhog in the world - and the official Groundhog Day weather forecaster. Living in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania as he does Phil often has to be wakened by his handlers to check on the spring forecast.

Groundhog Day

Unlike Pennsylvania groundhogs, our groundhogs actually begin to stir on Groundhog's Day (Feb. 2). After sleeping the winter away in their burrows they wake up about then and poke their noses outside. Any Groundhog seen wandering about at this time of the year is almost certainly a male seeking females since this is also their mating time. And while groundhogs wake up at this time they usually stay underground consuming their store of tubers and other food they stashed the previous fall. If the weather is warm they can often be seen along roadsides nibbling on tender new growth.

Groundhog burrows

Groundhogs are rodents who've specialized in digging. Their burrows are masterpieces of excavation with escape hatches, bathrooms, closets, storage rooms and at least one bedroom. I've noticed that groundhogs seem to have a sense of scenery. The main entrance to their burrow always has a great view - and usually the best view - of the surrounding countryside. This is partially explained by the fact that large numbers of animals find them very tasty and having an expansive vista allows them to see their enemies coming from a long way off. But it doesn't explain the precise positioning of their entrances which always gives them an aesthetically pleasing view as well.

But groundhog aesthetics aside they're a valuable component of our fauna. Their burrows aerate and drain the soil. Their burrowing brings mineral rich subsoil to the surface where it's mixed with topsoil thus enriching it. And their abandoned burrows provide homes and shelter for all manner of other creatures - from turtles to foxes.

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