On this day every year, we celebrate Groundhog Day. It’s the only holiday named for a rodent, yet we know very little about this happy little guy. So, in the interest of filling in the gaps in your sophistication, I shall share 10 facts about this nationally beloved creature:
Groundhogs, also called woodchucks, are large rodents. At 13 pounds they’re the largest members of the squirrel family.2. I know, you’re wondering if they really chuck
wood. A scientist once estimated they can dig up 700 lbs. of wood, but they don’t
eat it. They’re herbivores, but not idiots.
3.
Another name for this animal is whistle-pig. Somehow Whistle-Pig Day just doesn't have the same ring as Groundhog Day.
4.
Their burrows, which can be 6 feet deep, can
have as many as a dozen entrances. That’s a lot of welcome mats!
Weather prediction has been surprisingly, uh, wrong. You’d think the odds would be 50-50, but they’re only right about a third of the time. So, playing poker with a groundhog could be a good idea.
They live in North America and you’ll be glad to know they are listed as “least concern for extinction.” I didn’t even know there was such a list, but I’ll bet mosquitoes are on it, too.
It's the dead of winter, let's face it. So curl up with one of my books, whether ol' Phil sees his shadow or not.
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