Vermont Wildlife Fact Sheet: Woodchuck

Woodchuck Marmota monax The woodchuck (Marmota monax) is known by a wide variety of names including earth pig, groundhog, and whistle pig. The name woodchuck is believed to have derived from the Cree Indian word wuchak. The woodchuck is a medium sized rodent. It is related to the ground squirrel and marmot. It is known for its excavating ability, which allows it to create an extensive network of tunnels and burrows beneath open fields and meadows. Farmers, gardeners, and other property owners consider the woodchuck and its tunnels a nuisance. However, this activity aerates the soil it in the process. Additionally, a wide range of animals use the woodchuck's abandoned burrows and tunnels for den sites of their own. Vermont Wildlife Fact Sheet Physical Description hibernation. The males are Food Items polygamous, mating with more The woodchuck is a than one female, and will even The woodchuck is medium-sized, stocky mammal, fight over females during the primarily herbivorous, with the slightly larger in size breeding season. Once the male majority of its diet consisting of than an average house cat. It can and female have mated, a burrow plant matter. Favorites include grow to a length ranging from 16 is built and lined with vegetation fruits, flowers, shrubs, and to 27 inches and a weight between to provide warmth and insulation succulent green vegetation such four and 14 pounds, with the male for the young. as alfalfa, clover, grasses and slightly larger than the female. Its After a short gestation herbs. The woodchuck also has a fur color varies from a yellow- period of one month, the young taste for crops like peas, corns, brown to a grizzled brown-black are born from April through May. beans and oats. When these food on its dorsal side and is much An average litter size is between items are scarce, the woodchuck paler on the underside. Like other two and six young. The young will eat bark and twigs from a rodents, it has incisors that woodchucks are born defenseless, variety of tree species including continue to grow, and, if not worn without the ability to see and dogwood, sumac, and fruiting down, can kill it. It has short lacking fur. At about four weeks trees. It occasionally eats small ears, a blunt nose, and a bushy but of age, the kits' eyes will open and insects and eggs. somewhat flattened tail. The they become quite active by five As most of its food is groundhog is well equipped for weeks. They are weaned from vegetables, it is considered to be a burrowing; it has short but their mother's milk around six grazer. It can often be seen sitting powerful legs with flattened feet, weeks, which is also when they on its haunches, or back legs, and its front feet have four toes with begin to explore outside the pulling plants with its front paws long, curved claws, and its ears burrow. The kits grow quickly to feed on. have flaps that close shut to keep and are completely independent out dirt. from the female at the age of three Habits & Habitat months. At this time, the young Life Cycle woodchucks must quickly build The preferred habitat up a fat to get through their winter includes fields, pastures, The breeding season hibernation. They generally do meadows and open woodlands, begins in February or March, not become sexually active until though it is never far from cover. soon after they come out of the following spring. The woodchuck can be found in a Woodchuck Fact Sheet 1 variety of forests from coniferous is only time the male and female to mixed or cut hardwood stands. are together. The woodchuck is Resource Utilization As the woodchuck is a burrowing diurnal, most active during the animal, the soil must be loose and day, right after dawn and right The woodchuck, well drained, like sandy loam. before sunset. It also spends a considered by many as an Another consideration is that the considerable amount of time agricultural pest, actually serves selected habitat is near a food during the basking in the sun. an important and useful role in source, such as an abundance of When frightened, the woodchuck improving soil quality. It aerates green vegetation or agricultural produces a loud whistling sound the soil through the process of fields. and runs for the closest burrow. building its burrows. In addition, The den serves two main It may hiss, bark or even growl if its excrement improves the functions for the woodchuck. It extremely bothered by an nutrient quality of the soil and provides a safe haven throughout intruder. serves as a natural fertilizer. the year and a place for Many species of wildlife hibernating over the winter. The Abundance rely on the woodchuck's woodchuck will often shift burrowing expertise for their own change its denning locations from The woodchuck is fairly shelter, including rabbits, foxes season to season. It seems to common in Vermont. It has and weasels. prefer open areas for its denning expanded its range over the past Today, the woodchuck is location in the summer but more 200 years and is a familiar animal often hunted for damage control protected areas in the winter. The to many. in agricultural areas. Some underground tunnel system is people enjoy the taste of its meat. quite amazing; the main entrance History It was once trapped for its pelt, to a burrow may have 11 but this is now rare. entrances, the tunnels can be up to Most of Vermont was 45 feet in length, and a large nest covered with dense forests prior Management Efforts is located within a chamber deep to the arrival of European settlers. inside the network of tunnels. The woodchuck, preferring fields Current woodchuck The woodchuck keeps its den and open woodlands, did not find populations within the state of clean and well lined with grasses an abundance of suitable habitat Vermont are stable. There is no and dry leaves to serve as in these mature forests. The active plan designed for this insulation. settlers, however, cleared much of species, but continued monitoring The woodchuck is a true this land for agricultural and is conducted to ensure that their hibernator and depends on its fat forestry practices. By the 1850s, population remains healthy and reserve for survival. During the almost 75 percent of the forests abundant in Vermont. summer and fall, it will build up had been cleared. As a result the this reserve and go into woodchuck's range expanded. hibernation in October. It will Land use has changed generally not emerge until March considerably from the 1850s to or April. While hibernating, its the present. Many fields and metabolic processes slow down farms were abandoned and the considerably with a heart rate of land slowly reverted back to about 15 beats per minute, its forests. Today, over 80 percent of body temperature drops from its Vermont is forested. Their active temp of 97 degrees populations have declined but, Fahrenheit to less than 40 degrees Vermont is still a state with many Fahrenheit; and its respiration fields and pastures and, as a slows significantly as well. result, the woodchuck is still The woodchuck is abundant here. solitary. The brief mating season Woodchuck Fact Sheet 2 .

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