If you follow us on explore.org, you may already be familiar with some of the wildlife who coexist with our rescued residents at Farm Sanctuary’s Watkins Glen, New York shelter—particularly, the groundhogs! (The explore.org community calls each one “Chuckie.”)

Every February, we think fondly of our friends still hibernating underground. And there’s no need to rouse “Punxsutawney Phil” to check his shadow—groundhogs reemerge on their own. (Just to note: We don’t support the exploitation of any animal for entertainment.)

If you love native wildlife like we do, it might concern you to know that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) kills wildlife, like groundhogs, who threaten animals raised for food production. Their program, called Wildlife Services, targets wolves, coyotes, cougars, birds, and other wild animals, primarily to benefit animal agriculture. In 2021, the program reported killing 404,538 native animals. This is down from previous years, thanks to pressure from organizations like the Center for Biological Diversity. However, this is still too much needless suffering in the name of animal agriculture.

Discover other ways animal agriculture negatively impacts nature.

At Sanctuary, we do our best to live in harmony with wildlife—after all, this land is their land, too. And yes, living with and running a Sanctuary around countless burrowing animals isn’t the easiest thing to do, but we make it work! (We ensure whatever holes we have to fill have other exits.)

Besides, look at these cuties! Most of these photos are courtesy of the explore.org community:

Here are some fun facts you may have missed!

• They’re the largest members of the squirrel family. Groundhogs are one of 14 marmot or ground squirrel species and are only found in North America.
• The nickname “woodchuck” has nothing to do with wood. Some think it’s a corruption of the Algonquian or Narragansett name for the animal: wuchak. (Their short, high-pitched whistle has also landed them the name “whistle-pig.”)
• Groundhogs are herbivores. They munch on fruit, plants, tree bark, and grasses.

• They can eat about a pound of food per sitting—and for a good reason! Groundhogs build up body fat in the summer and fall and don’t eat during hibernation.
• Groundhogs are “true hibernators.” For about three months, they go completely dormant. They can reduce their heart rate to about five beats a minute and their body temperature as low as 41 degrees Fahrenheit!
• Groundhogs are great architects. Their burrows can be 8 to 66 feet long, with multiple entrances and chambers.

• They’re tidy. Groundhogs keep their homes clean by changing out their nesting from time to time. They even keep a separate chamber for defecation (i.e., a woodchuck bathroom)!
• Males emerge from hibernation early—and they do it for love. The male wakes up in early February to beat out the competing males! He goes from burrow to burrow, seeking out potential females, before going back to sleep until March when it’s time to mate.

SOURCES
Bradford, Alina. “Facts about Groundhogs.” Live Science, 16 February, https://www.livescience.com/57922-groundhog-facts.html.

Sirucek, Stefan. “10 facts you didn’t know about groundhogs.” National Geographic, 31 January 2020, https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/groundhogs-day-animals-wildlife.

Di Silvestro, Roger. “10 things you may not know about groundhogs.” National Wildlife Federation, 13 January 2011, https://blog.nwf.org/2011/01/10-things-you-may-not-know-about-groundhogs/.