The Adventurous Life of the
Groundhog!
Chuck, Wood-shock, Groundpig, Whistlepig, Whistler, Thickwood Badger, Canada Marmot, Monax, Moonack, Weenusk, Red monk, Land Beaver and siffleux. The groundhog is known by many names. If not familiar to this magnifisent creature, one might think it is only a big rodent. But as you will see, the Groundhog is far more than what first meets the eye.
The groundhog (Marmota monax), is a rodent of the family Sciuridae, belonging to the group of large ground squirrels known as marmots. Being a lowland animal, it is exceptional among marmots. Groundhogs play an important role maintaining healthy soil in woodlands and plains. The groundhog is considered a crucial habitat engineer. Groundhogs are an extremely intelligent animal forming complex social networks, able to understand social behavior, form kinship with their young, understand and communicate threats through whistling, and work cooperatively to solve tasks such as burrowing. Learn more!