How Much Do Raccoons Weigh? | Facts on Size

It is believed that if a groundhog emerging from its burrow on this day sees its shadow, it will retreat to its den and winter will continue for six weeks

If it doesn’t see its shadow, spring comes early

The most attended Groundhog Day ceremony is held in Punxsutawney in western Pennsylvania, centered around a semi-mythical groundhog named Punxsutawney Phil

Groundhog Day first appeared in the local Punxsutawney newspaper in 1886, according to The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club website

Size and Weight: A groundhog can weigh up to about 13 pounds and have a body length of up to 20 inches

It has a bushy tail up to 7 inches long

Fur: Groundhogs have thick fur that comes in various shades of brown

Diet: Groundhogs are vegetarian

They eat grasses, other green plants, some fruits, and the bark and buds of trees

They feed heavily in the summer and early fall, accumulating huge fat reserves for their winter hibernation

According to the National Wildlife Federation (NWF), a groundhog can pack more than a pound of vegetation at one sitting during the warm season

Habitat: Groundhogs are mostly found along forest edges, meadows, open fields, roads and streams

Although groundhogs dig deep in extensive burrow systems, they are also good swimmers and can climb tall shrubs and trees

Lifespan: In the wild, groundhogs can live up to six years with an average of two or three

In captivity, groundhogs live up to 14 years

Breeding: Groundhogs tend to be solitary except in the spring, when a litter of four to six young are born

Its body temperature can drop from about 99 degrees Fahrenheit to as low as 37 F, according to NWF

During this time, about 150 days without eating, a woodchuck loses no more than a quarter of its body weight, according to NWF

Conservation status: The groundhog is classified as a species of least concern on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species

In some areas, groundhogs are so numerous that they are considered pests

Their digging activities damage gardens and other surface vegetation

Threats: Groundhogs are preyed upon by a variety of animals, such as wolves, coyotes, dogs, foxes, bobcats, lynx and black bears

Additional facts:

In fact, Stormfax calculated that Phil has seen a 39% forecast success rate since 1887

Groundhogs fly at potential mates, which is why they are also known as “whistlepigs”

Their underground burrows contain several “rooms” with different purposes, including a sleeping chamber, a nursery chamber and a waste chamber

It can stretch anywhere from eight to 66 feet long

Few animals hibernate as long as groundhogs

They hibernate from late fall to late winter or early spring, which can add up to six months of deep sleep

Despite their intense hibernation habits, male groundhogs may wake up early to search for potential mates

After NWF, do not mate at this time

The visits will likely allow the animals to get to know each other before breeding in March

To accommodate its large appetite, woodchucks grow upper and lower incisors that resist wear and tear as they grow about a sixteenth of an inch each week, according to NWF

Groundhogs like to live on the edges of forests, meadows, open fields, highways and streams

Although groundhogs are known for their enormous burrow networks and impressive digging skills, these animals are also strong swimmers and adept tree climbers

But how much do groundhogs weigh?

The typical groundhog weighs 5-10 pounds and is 16-20 inches long

Tail lengths vary from about 4 to 7 inches

Male and female groundhogs appear quite similar, with the possible exception that males tend to be larger

Table of ContentsGroundhog WeightsGroundhog Diet and How It Contributes to Their WeightTypes of FoodSeasonal Eating PatternsHow is Hibernating Groundhog Weight?

What time of day are groundhogs most active? Final words

Groundhog weights

Although most groundhogs are a shade of gray-brown, there are also black and albino varieties

Most of their time is spent underground in their burrows, although they do go out briefly each day, morning and evening, to look for food

Their long, curved claws come in handy when digging out their underground lairs

The incisor teeth of groundhogs, like other rodents, are quite long

The American festival called Groundhog Day is celebrated every year on February 2 because of the widespread belief that groundhog behavior predicts the coming change of seasons

The ability to see a groundhog’s shadow is the highlight of this annual festival when it is treated as the star attraction

At the first hint of winter, a groundhog goes into its underground burrow to hibernate until spring (usually the first frost)

This period of dormancy can last anywhere from three to six months, depending on where in the world you live

The groundhog relies on its stored fat from the previous year for nourishment during this period

Generally, a baby groundhog is considered to be under 10 inches long

Any groundhog with a body length of less than 10 inches is still a juvenile and needs special care until it reaches adulthood

Baby weight is another method to determine if the child is a baby or not

Groundhog puppies weigh barely a few ounces at birth

A woodchuck with only 25-30 grams would be considered a baby

On the other hand, some fully grown groundhogs can weigh much less than others

It is almost certainly a young groundhog if the weight is under 30 grams

Groundhog diet and how it contributes to their weight

Hog-nosed rodents do not eat meat

Grass, other green plants, certain fruits, and tree bark and buds are also part of their diet

They store a ton of fat over the summer and early fall before hibernating for the winter

In the summer, a groundhog can eat more than a pound of leaves at a time, according to NWF

Imagine a guy who weighs 150 pounds losing a 15 pound steak

The approach of spring is not the only thing that groundhogs predict

Because of their voracious appetite, groundhogs (sometimes called woodchucks) can cause harm to humans and livestock

The easiest way to respond to this issue is to study the types of food and eating routines that are most popular among them

Bush leaves, nuts, grains, ferns, wildflowers, grass, and fruit are all staples in the groundhog’s diet

Chickweed, clover, plantains, aster, dandelion and sorrel are just a few plants favored by this species as food

Peas, beans, lettuce, squash, broccoli, corn and soybeans are some of the cultivated crops that they like to eat, making them a nuisance to people

Groundhogs can consume almost a pound of vegetation each day when they are adults

A groundhog’s diet does not only consist of plants

While groundhogs mostly consume plant material for nutrition, they may occasionally eat insects, snails, babies, and even eggs

Larger insects like June bugs and grasshoppers tend to attract them

It contributes a lot of protein and fat to their diet

Thus it increases their size as well as their weight

Detailed food list: what does a groundhog eat

Exactly what kind of food and drink do groundhogs prefer?

Herbivorous groundhogs depend on standard garden fare, although they also like the occasional bug or worm

Therefore, groundhog food in your yard increases the likelihood that groundhogs can dig burrows near your house

This is remarkably accurate, as groundhogs rarely go more than one hundred and fifty feet from their burrows in search of food

Groundhogs can cause damage to your garden by eating your crops or cutting your plants at an angle

Since groundhogs can eradicate entire plant communities, an abundance of weeds in certain locations may indicate groundhogs living on your land

It is recommended to get in touch with a pest expert as soon as possible if you fear that a groundhog is destroying your garden

Seasonal eating patterns

The groundhog is primarily a vegetarian, meaning it eats plant-based foods, including greens, fruits and vegetables, but can sometimes supplement its diet with insects

The diet of a groundhog is very specialized, and it changes with the seasons

In spring and autumn, the groundhog has his lunch

In the summer you can see them in the gardens early in the morning and again in the late afternoon

However, what do groundhogs consume in the colder months?

Instead, they use the time between October and February to bulk up before hibernation

By February, groundhogs have lost half their weight from hibernation and are ready to eat

How is hibernation related to groundhog weight?

In the summer and early fall, groundhogs consume a lot of food to build up large fat stores before hibernating in the winter

During the warm season, the NWF reports that a groundhog can consume more than a pound of leaves in a single sitting

This is like a guy weighing 150 pounds losing 15 pounds of food in one sitting

Because it prepares its body for hibernation by storing fat in the fall, a groundhog will gain weight in the winter

By spring, his body will have burned a significant amount of stored fat, resulting in weight loss

Just like groundhogs, do guinea pigs hibernate?

The following are some more details about guinea pigs in hibernation

The usual lifespan of a wild groundhog, sometimes referred to as a woodchuck, is between four and five years

However, these animals can live as long as six years

They have been known to survive for ten years or more when kept in captivity

However, they spend the better part of their lives sleeping in a state similar to a coma and do not wake up even when touched

2 Do people eat groundhogs?

Not only can you eat groundhogs, but if you clean and cook them properly, they also have a soft texture and a great flavor

They do not consume anything that is not plant-based in their diet and do not transmit diseases that are fatal to humans

The flavor of groundhogs is comparable to that of rabbits, and most groundhog recipes instruct you to cook the meat the same way you would rabbits

Groundhogs contribute to soil aeration through their burrowing behavior

Just like any other part of the plant, roots are required to respire, meaning they take in oxygen and release carbon dioxide

4 What time of day are groundhogs most active?

From spring to fall, groundhogs are diurnal, meaning they are active all day

The groundhogs come out of their holes in the morning and later in the evening to look for food

So these are the times when there is the most activity

That’s all you need to know about “how much do groundhogs weigh? “

Although they spend most of their time under, groundhogs will attack crops by pulling roots such as carrots and tubers down into their burrows

When threatened, groundhogs will immediately retreat to their burrows

Despite their small size (about 10 pounds) and 20 inches in length, groundhogs have been known to fight bobcats, coyotes and even some domestic dogs

However, most predators in North America, especially foxes, rely on them as a primary source of food