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* Groundhog and woodchuck are names of the same animal.
Related to squirrels, they can climb trees, and they can swim.
*
February 2 is a "cross-quarter" day, about halfway between the winter solstice and the vernal equinox in March. Many groundhogs end
their hibernation a week or so later than this.
* The groundhog's internal clock is believed to be
affected by changes in the amount of daylight. Hormonal responses change the production of
melatonin and are thought to be the signal to wake up.
* Groundhog fur was never used for coats. Its hairs are used
for tying trout flies. American Indians used its hide for the soles of moccasins.
* Answer to the classic question: How much wood could a
woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? About 700 pounds. A wildlife biologist
measured the inside volume of a typical woodchuck burrow; he estimated that if the burrow
were filled with wood instead of dirt, the industrious animal would have chucked about 700
pounds' worth. Of course, the woodchuck doesn't chuck wood. They will chew on wood, but
they are not adept at moving timber, especially when compared to beavers.
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell
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Copyright ©2006 by Joe Hickman |
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