WHAT GOES ON UNDERGROUND IN THE GROUNDHOG DEN

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, February 23, 1992                   TAG: 9202200257
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: E-8   EDITION: METRO  
SOURCE: Patricia Held
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium
WHAT GOES ON UNDERGROUND IN THE GROUNDHOG DEN
Early this month, the nation's foremost forecaster predicted six more weeks of winter. The legend of the famed groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, comes to us from American settlers: "If Candlemas Day is fair and clear, there will be two winters in the year." Of course the shadow-casting tradition was inaccurate, but it did seem to break up the long winter.
The groundhog also is known as a woodchuck or whistle pig. The "hog," "pig" and "chuck" in its name refers to its piglike appearance. In reality, the groundhog is a large ground squirrel, and its close relatives include squirrels,marmots and chipmunks.
The mammal's coarse fur is red-brown. A stocky creature, its stubby, short legs cause it to waddle when it walks.
The sharp claws of its front feet enable it to bulldoze through the soil with incredible ease. In fact, armies of hardworking groundhogs dig up and turn millions of tons of soil annually. One groundhog can dump 700 pounds of soil on to the surface in one season.
As a groundhog digs, its back feet kick away soil, rocks and whatever else may be in the way as it burrows out its home.
The groundhog den is a nest of several chambers at the end of a main tunnel that can extend about 40 feet. Each chamber is lined with layers of grass and leaves that provide the animal with a soft mattress area for sleeping. A special chamber is set aside for the toilet area.
A groundhog burrow usually has several openings, but only one is excavated from above with obvious mounds of soil surrounding the hole. Other entrances are dug from below and are well-concealed. Its home is a haven from danger, and the groundhog will periscope from the entrance to check the safety of the area before it emerges from its den.
By choosing a site on a well-drained hillside, its burrow is rarely flooded, even during springtime rains.
A true hibernator, usually by late February or early March the groundhog is out of its den on a regular basis. In fact, just the other day on a particularly warm and sunny afternoon, I saw a groundhog sunning itself in a field.
The breeding season begins in early to mid-March, and by May from two to six young are born. This year may see an advanced breeding season because of the warm weather. At birth, the young weigh only 1 1/2 ounces, but in two months time they grow to over 2 pounds.
Groundhog are excellent parents and take every precaution to make sure that their young are prepared for life. Youngsters learn the basics of feeding and averting danger as they play in the fields and roll in the sun. During the spring and summer it is a common sight to see groundhog families sitting on their haunches as they munch on grass and clover.
Groundhogs are not very popular with gardeners and farmers. The animals' food preferences range from wild fruits and greens to our prize tomatoes. They can destroy a vegetable garden in no time at all. And their dens and tunnels result in dangerous holes in pastures for livestocks.
One way to trap the groundhogs humanely is to purchase a Havahart brand trap.
Patricia Held will respond to readers' questions on the plant and animal wildlife in the region. Mail inquiries to: Patricia Held, P.O. Box 65, Goode, Va. 24556.

Patricia Held is the former director of the Nature Center Museum in Middletown, N.J. She lives in Bedford County.

by Bhavesh Jinadra by CNB