In late summer they begin to put on weight in preparation for the move to their winter dens, often located in wooded areas. They hibernate from October through March. While hibernating, a woodchuck's body temperature drops from 99°F to 40°F, and its heartbeat drops from 100 beats per minute to 4 beats per minute!

What month do groundhogs hibernate?

Groundhog Activity

Throughout the winter, they are inactive, their heart rates slow and their body temperatures drop to approximately 39-40 degrees Fahrenheit. So, exactly when do groundhogs hibernate? This is a several-month process extending from late October to early February, depending on their geographic location.

At what temperature do woodchucks hibernate?

Groundhogs are considered "true hibernators," according to National Geographic, meaning their body temperature drops below 20 degrees Celsius, or 68 degrees Fahrenheit. During hibernation, the groundhog's body temperature drops from 99 F to as low as 37 F, according to the National Wildlife Federation.

Do woodchucks hibernate alone?

Groundhogs are solitary creatures, and they spend their summers and falls stuffing themselves and taking naps in the sun. They can eat about a pound of food per sitting. In the winter, they hibernate. ... A groundhog typically sticks close to home.

Do woodchucks come out in the winter?

Groundhogs are typically active until the first real frost of winter, often October or November. Then they crawl down into their burrows and begin to hibernate. This hibernation lasts until the weather starts to warm up, usually around February or March.

Groundhogs and Hibernation

What time of year do Woodchucks have babies?

Please note: Woodchucks have one litter of four to six babies per year in April or May, which take about 10-12 weeks to grow up and become independent. Babies can be in a den as late as August.

What triggers groundhog hibernation?

One 1967 study published in the journal Ecology found that going without food, and not the cold, is actually the key factor triggering hibernation. Researchers found that groundhogs offered food would become active, even in chilly 42 F (6 C) temperatures, until the food ran out.

Can a groundhog find its way back home?

Once you have trapped the groundhog it is important to relocate it to a new home in a field, meadow or wooded area that is at least 20 miles away from your home so they don't find their way back.

How many groundhogs usually live together?

Male groundhogs and female groundhogs don't live together. They live alone separately in each of their burrows. Whenever a young groundhog has grown mature, it digs a burrow for itself. Only during mating do two adult groundhogs live together in a burrow.

How can you tell a male groundhog from a female?

The male and female look a lot alike, but the male will typically be slightly larger in size, weighing in around 4-15 pounds and are 16-20" with a 4"-7" tail, chunky body, short legs and incredible curved claws designed for digging burrows, which is the typical reason for people requesting groundhog removals.

Will mothballs keep groundhogs away?

Do Mothballs Keep Groundhogs Away? Groundhogs hate the smell of mothballs, but the truth is, they are just not strong enough to scare these rodents away. ... In brief, mothballs are not a strong deterrence against groundhogs, and you would be wise to use more effective methods, such as trapping or spraying ammonia.

What time of year are groundhogs active?

Activity: Groundhogs are diurnal (active during the day) from spring to fall. Most activity occurs during the early morning and early evening hours, at which groundhogs emerge from their burrows to gather food. Hibernation: Groundhogs are true hibernators, entering a deep sleep in October and emerging in early spring.

Are woodchucks and groundhogs the same thing?

1. A groundhog by any other name. Groundhogs are also variously referred to as woodchucks, whistle-pigs, or land-beavers. The name whistle-pig comes from the fact that, when alarmed, a groundhog will emit a high-pitched whistle as a warning to the rest of his or her colony.

Do groundhogs have two holes?

Groundhogs often have two separate burrows, one for summer (grassy field area) and one for winter (wooded area). During the approximately three month hibernation period, groundhogs enter their winter burrows which have only one entrance. ... Summer burrows have multiples entrances with a mound of soil next to them.

What is the best repellent for groundhogs?

Lavender – Try planting some lavender around the garden. While it smells lovely to us, groundhogs find it offensive and avoid the areas where it is. They also dislike the smell of these herbs: basil, chives, lemon balm, mint, sage, thyme, rosemary, and oregano.

How many babies does a groundhog have?

4. Pregnancy goes by fast for them. Groundhog mating season is in the early spring and, after only a month-long pregnancy, mother groundhogs typically give birth to a litter of two to six blind, hairless babies. Young groundhogs are called kits, pups, or sometimes chucklings.

Are groundhogs good for anything?

Woodchucks may not appear useful to humans, but they have their own place and identity in the ecosystem and should be accepted—and respected—for that alone. They provide food for coyotes, foxes, weasels, badgers, hawks, and eagles.

Where do groundhogs have their babies?

In the burrow

A burrow has 2-5 entrances and several chambers, including a nesting chamber for birthing and rearing babies, an excrement chamber and a hibernation chamber. It's not uncommon for a groundhog, particularly an older groundhog, to have more than one burrow, unconnected to its other burrows.

How far will woodchucks travel?

Even feeding woodchucks normally do not travel farther than 50 yards from their dens. There are excep- tions; male woodchucks have been known to travel long distances to find a mate. Occasionally, woodchucks will trav- el several hundred yards to forage in time of drought or to eat fallen orchard fruit.

Do groundhogs have good eyesight?

Woodchucks have good eyesight, and are good swimmers.

They'll climb trees up to a height of about 20 ft, but most commonly keep it to 8–12 ft.

How far do you need to relocate a woodchuck?

If relocating your groundhog, do so at least 5 miles away from your property. Choose an area that provides cover so that your groundhog will not want to travel far to make a new home. Though groundhogs are not generally aggressive, one might attack if it feels threatened.

What does the woodchuck do when it Cannot find food?

A good example of a typical hibernating animal is the woodchuck. Unlike the squirrel , it does not have to work extra hard during the summer months to collect and store food for the cold season. ... Thus, when it can no longer find food, it crawls deep into its burrow and goes to sleep.

Do Woodchucks play dead?

The woodchuck decided to play dead, whether it was exhausted from a fight or just an inherent protective mechanism, and this picture was taken.

Are groundhogs intelligent?

Groundhogs may look like clumsy, dumb creatures. They are actually quite smart. They know when something looks or smells funny. Late winter and early spring are the best times to find burrows.