Will there be six more weeks of winter, or will the days of Spring begin? The purpose of Groundhog Day is for that Whistle Pig to let us know just that.
What is The Groundhog?
The Groundhog is a rodent belonging to the squirrel family. They are known as Whistle Pigs and Woodchucks. Whistle Pigs because they produce a high-pitched alarm whistle to warn the rest of their family when they are in danger. Woodchucks is a Native American name bestowed upon the Groundhog. Other noises the Groundhog makes include squeals, barks, and tooth grinding.
They live in the Eastern part of North America. Because Groundhogs are omnivores, being near fence lines, vegetable farms, cornfields and, and fruit orchards is the goal. Their full menu consists of grasses, berries, vegetables, grasshoppers, insects, and snails.
Groundhogs are burrowers. They move about seven-hundred pounds of dirt when digging their home. Any given burrow will contain two to five entrances and it can go to a depth of five feet below ground.
The female will give birth to about four to nine babies. The father will leave the den after the babies are born and will return once they have left. A baby Groundhog is called a kit or cub. They are born hairless, helpless, and blind. Their eyes open at four weeks of age and they will leave the den when they are six to seven weeks old.
Whistle Pigs are diurnal. Their predators are the:
- Fox
- Raccoon
- Coyote
- Farm Dog
Hibernation takes up half of the Groundhogs year. They live in the wild for up to six years; but, the longest living Woodchuck lived to be twenty-two years old. His name was Waitron Willie.
the History and Purpose of Groundhog Day?
The first ever prediction by Punxsutawney Phil took place in eighteen-eighty-seven. If the Groundhog comes out of his burrow and sees his shadow, he will go back into his burrow and there will be six more weeks of winter. If he does not see his shadow, he will emerge from his burrow and Spring will come early.
The draw to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania averaged about two-thousand people a year until the year after the movie screened in 1993. Now attendance to the yearly event is around ten-thousand people.
Where Does The Day take place?
The biggest celebration of the Groundhog predictions takes place in Pennsylvania at Gobler’s Knob. Punxsutawney Phil is the most famous weather predicting Groundhog, but there are others:
- Buckeye Chuck in Ohio.
- Dunkirk Dave in Dunkirk, New York.
- General Beauregard Lee in Atlanta, Georgia.
- Pardon Me Pete in Tampa, Florida.
- Sir Walter Wally in Raleigh, North Carolina.
- Spanish Joe in Spanish, Ontario.
There is a Punxsutawney Groundhog Club you can join and get all of Phil’s details.
Conclusion
Six more weeks of winter or finally spring? What will that Woodchuck tell us about the weather this year.
How Much Do You Know About The Groundhog?
Groundhog Day is almost upon us. How well do you know the ground hog? Take this quiz and test your knowledge.
