HAPPY WHISTLEPIG DAY!

Today marks “Groundhog Day”.  The groundhog (Marmota monax) goes by many common names including:  woodchuck, marmot, and whistle pigs.  Marmota is Latin for “marmot” (which is nice and redundant) and monax is American Indian for “the digger”.  There alarm call is a whistling sound – hence the name “whistle pigs”.  Groundhogs dig burrows with 2-3 escape holes using strong front legs with long, curved claws.  A nest chamber is lined with dried grass and leaves.  A single groundhog can have a home range of about 4 acres which will shift with the seasons.  These vegetarians fatten up for winter and hibernate only briefly (6-8 weeks) in warm parts of the Ozarks. 

Groundhog Day is the celebration of a superstition that if the groundhog emerges from its burrow on February 2 and sees its shadow, it will go back to its den and winter will continue for six more weeks.  If it is cloudy and the critter doesn’t see its shadow, spring will come early.  Now, am I the only one that is skeptical of this?  March 21 (the first day of spring) is about six weeks away anyhow, marking the end of winter (based on the position of the sun at the spring equinox).  The concept of “spring coming early” is a bit vague.  I’m still happy to celebrate a vegetarian mammal who whistles in alarm.  Shucks, one of my happiest observations of a groundhog was watching it run away from me when I surprised it (unintentionally of course!) while biking on a local trail.  Its body flattened, and the rolls of fat seemed to ripple with each short, stubby stride that it took.  It reminded me of a furry blob in slow motion.  That mental image alone is worthy of a holiday.