For groundhogs, hibernation generally begins in October and ends in March or April (not on Feb. 2). If they are awakened from this hibernation too early, their body temperature rises, and they burn considerably more of their fat reserve than while they are sleeping. So waking a groundhog up from its natural hibernation “is not doing the animal any favors,” according to Philip Myers, University of Michigan professor of zoology. However, most of the groundhogs “featured” on Groundhog Day are in captivity to begin with, and don’t have to worry about hibernation.

Groundhogs are serious agricultural pests. They have been known to cause so much trouble that, in 1919-23, Michigan residents earned a 50-cent bounty for each one killed, notes Myers.

Groundhogs are also one of the few mammals that can be legally killed on private property outside of hunting season. Not only do these animals travel considerable distances to raid gardens, but their immense burrows damage farm machinery and destroy building foundations. Horses and other farm animals have been known to break their legs when stumbling into groundhog burrows.

Europeans once considered hedgehogs and badgers to be long-range weather forecasters. In America, groundhogs came to be associated with length of winters.

For more information, contact Philip Myers at (734) 647-2206 or pmyers@umich.edu

Philip Myerspmyers@umich.edu