Whistle pigs, woodchucks, groundhogs, and marmots are all names for a large iconic member of the rodent family. Essentially, they are large squirrels.

“Run here Sally with a 10-foot pole,
Run here Sally with a 10-foot pole,
To twist this whistle -pig out of his hole,
Oh, groundhog.
Look out boys, they’re about to fall

Watch them fellas, they’re about to fall
They’ll eat till their britches won’t button at all
Oh groundhog.”

Doc Watson’s bittersweet anthem to this marvelous creature captures the love hate relationship they engender. Farmers, home gardeners, livestock and horse ranchers rue their appearance but Punxsutawney, Pa. has made them international superstars, at least once a year. The well-loved lore is that if Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow on February 2, winter will last 6 more weeks, but if no shadow, an early spring is coming. Phil, supposedly over 100 years old (he gets a life prolonging elixir every 7 years) sees his shadow about 90 percent of the time. His predictive accuracy hovers around 39 percent. German settlers brought this tradition to America and groundhogs were the most convenient rodent. The celebration is based on the actual behavior of groundhogs.

Groundhogs hibernate in the winter lowering their metabolism and temperature. In late February they emerge from their burrows looking for love. The chittering high-pitched noise they make serves dual purposes- to alert others of danger and to announce themselves to the ladies. Hench the dually appropriate nickname, whistle pig. If they find their love connection, they go back to the burrow and sleep until sometime in March. They do not mate for life and male female interaction is limited to copulation. In the wild, groundhogs live about 10 years and in captivity they can live for 15.

These large squirrels, are voracious mostly herbivorous eaters. Grasses, berries, bark, leaves, fruits, and vegetables are favorites but they will also eat small animals like grubs, grasshoppers, and snails up to a pound a day. They are master engineers and help maintain healthy soil. They create burrows a few feet deep with usually two, but up to five entrances. One serves as a front porch and can be spotted by mounded soil or rocks. The other entrances, called plunge holes, can be up to 20 feet away, and serve as escape hatches without a welcoming porch. The burrows are dug below the frost line. Sometimes foxes will evict groundhogs. If there are bones on the front porch, the eviction has succeeded. Other opportunists like skunks and raccoons sometimes take over.

Groundhogs will climb or destroy your garden fence, scamper up a tree and even swim to get a delectable meal. They are hostile, mobile, and agile despite their gluttonous appearance. They have two large incisors and sharp claws and do not hesitate to defend their homes.

There are several burrows at Cromwell Valley Park and two are easily accessible to visitors. Check at the nature center for directions.