A Pair Of Groundhogs

I have an extra long and extra good post for you today! On a day after it rained all night I had a feeling the groundhog would be back out. So I went out to the field where I always see him, and I got double the groundhogs for the price of one. That's right! There were two of them out there!

I know some of you wanted to see the groundhog's face a little better the last time I shared him with you, so I made sure I got that for you too, and maybe even a little bit more! I had to stretch the zoom on my camera to its limits, but I think I got some good stuff.

I made sure this post was going to cover everything this time. Not only did I get some good pictures of the groundhogs, I also have a new episode of Rat TV for you, and this one features both groundhogs! There's the one in the front, and then another one that decided to hang out in the back.

Watch them as they keep looking up just in case a predator might be approaching. These two are always really nervous, so I couldn't get very close to them. I couldn't risk even getting out of my truck, so there is some noise from the engine in the video. They were fine with that part, so I didn't dare shut it off.

Here's the lead groundhog eating grass while holding it with his front paw. Just like a human eating a snack! Grass is one of their favorite kinds of food. They are mostly herbivorous, but they sometimes like a good grub. Other rodents, such as squirrels, are more willing to eat smaller animals.

A fun little fact is that groundhogs are actually a type of squirrel. They are what is known as ground squirrels. They are in the family of Sciuridae, just like any tree squirrel that I've shown in the past, and will definitely be giving you a fresh look at soon. A groundhog's scientific name is Marmota Monax.

Finally, here is the second groundhog. She seems to want to hang back near the den. It looks like she can see me watching them, so I understand why she won't come closer. Groundhogs are normally solitary creatures, but right now is the heart of mating season for them.

Here is the lead groundhog rooting around in the grass while the other one looks out for any danger that might be about. I referred to the one in front as he, and the one in back as she, but I really have no idea which is which, and I have no desire to go over and ask them. I only talk this way to help give them personality.

While they would most likely run and hide if I were to approach, groundhogs are known for sometimes being aggressive fighters. They don't like to play around if they are threatened. They can and will defend themselves. I think that's enough for me to decide to stay away from them, especially these two big critters.

The last time I saw this chubby guy, he was running across the grass chasing something. I don't really know why he did it. Maybe he was just protecting his territory. He moves a lot faster than his chubby frame might indicate. As big as he is now, he will get about twice this fat by the time he's ready to hibernate for next winter. That's a lot of groundhog! He's quite a bit bigger than a house cat, weighing more than twice as much.

That's it for this look at my two local groundhogs. I enjoy watching them as much as I can, but there's always a new adventure for me. I wonder what I'll see next...


Today over at Nature Center Magazine, Rob will be featuring a new Free Wallpaper. Today's contributor of wallpaper is Jean from The Joy of Bird Watching and Living a Simple Life! Some of you may be fans of her blog, just like I am. Go take a look at her free wallpaper and tell her how much you like it. Then follow the links to visit Jean's wonderful blog.