Groundhog

Marmota monax

Conservation Status

Least Concern

Mammalia · Rodentia · Sciuridae

About

The groundhog, also known as the woodchuck, is a rodent of the family Sciuridae, belonging to the group of large ground squirrels known as marmots. A lowland creature of North America, it is found through much of the Eastern United States, across Canada and into Alaska. It was given its scientific name as Mus monax by Carl Linnaeus in 1758, based on a description of the animal by George Edwards, published in 1743.

Fun Fact

Groundhog Day aside, groundhogs are one of the few true hibernators — their heart rate drops from 80 to just 5 beats per minute and body temperature falls to near freezing during winter torpor.

Quick Facts

Habitat

Fields and forest edges

Diet

Herbivore

Lifespan

6-8 years

Threats

Wildfire
Habitat Fragmentation

External Data Sources

Recent sightings on iNaturalist IUCN Red List profile

More Mammals Species

Abbott's Duiker EN Abbott's Gibbon EN Addax CR African Elephant EN African Forest Elephant CR African Wild Ass CR

Browse all Mammals →