Groundhog

Description:

The groundhog is the largest sciurid in its geographical range. Adults are 16 to 20 inches long, including a six inch tail. A large woodchuck thought to weigh twenty pounds when carried was exactly half that weight when weighed by scale. Woodchuck weight ranges from five to twelve pounds. Extremely large individuals may weigh up to 15 pounds. Seasonal weight changes indicate circannual deposition and use of fat. Progressive higher weights are attained each year for the first 2–3 years after which weights plateau. Groundhogs have four incisor teeth which grow 1/16" per week. Constant usage wears them down again by about that much each week. Unlike the incisors of other rodents, the incisors of groundhogs are white to ivory white. Groundhogs are well adapted for digging, with short, powerful limbs and curved, thick claws. Unlike other sciurids, the groundhog's spine is curved, more like that of a mole, and the tail is comparably shorter as well — only about one-fourth of body length. Suited to their temperate habitat, groundhogs are covered with two coats of fur: a dense grey undercoat and a longer coat of banded guard hairs that gives the groundhog its distinctive "frosted" appearance.

Habitat:

The groundhog prefers open country and the edges of woodland, and is rarely far from a burrow entrance. Marmota monax has a wide geographic range. It is typically found in low elevation forests, small woodlots, fields, pastures and hedgerows. It constructs dens in well drained soil, and most have summer and winter dens. Human activity has increased food access and abundance allowing M. monax to thrive. As a consequence, the groundhog is a familiar animal to many people in the United States and Canada. From wikipedia.