Name: Common: Woodchuck/scientific: Marmota monax
Habitat: Woodchucks live on farmlands and sometimes near woodlots, or fences of any sort (rock fences, wood fences). They prefer forest edges and open land, although they never are far from cover. They love rich arid sandy soil for burrowing, but when they choose a tree to live in (they live in and near trees) they can occupy many different types of forest trees. Spruce, jack pine and many hardwoods are some of the trees that the woodchuck will use.
Physical Characteristics: The woodchuck is fairly large. It is 18-26 inches long. Its body rests on top of its small but strong legs which are used for digging. The males are barely larger than females. The woodchuck has a large tail on its back. The woodchuck has small eyes and ears and instead uses his powerful nose to sense things. It sheds once a year from back to front. The woodchuck has large teeth that grow rapidly, and if the woodchuck doesn't properly wear down the teeth, they will keep growing which sometimes is fatal because they can't eat and they starve.
Classification: Phylum-Chordata, Class-Mammalia, Order-Rodentia, Family-ciuriidae
Geographical Range: Woodchucks are found in Alaska and in southern Canada and northern America, including the eastern United States.
Niche: The woodchuck is mostly an herbivore and keeps down the plant population, but it does eat other things sometimes.
Feeding habits: Woodchucks eat plants mainly, but do sometimes eat insects, snails and bird eggs. The woodchuck mostly feeds on the leaves and green part of the vegetation as opposed to the flower or seed. When there is not much vegetation, the woodchuck will eat the bark, buds, and twigs of several fruit trees. The woodchuck loves grasses, clover, and leaves of the sassafras tree.
Predator/Prey relationship:
What Eats It-Its predators are from the dog family. The wolf, fox, dog and coyote are in this family. It is also killed by cars.What It Eats-Mostly (as I've mentioned before) it eats vegetation but as a predator it will eat insects and carrion (dead animals).
Reproduction: The woodchuck breeds in the spring. Females usually have a litter of three to five babies. They are born in May and are blind and helpless. They weigh 26-27 grams and are as long as 1.25 inch. After a week their skin becomes colored. After two weeks they start to grow hair. After three weeks they can crawl. By the fourth week they can open their eyes, and after five short weeks the babies are almost fully capable. They are almost fully capable because they are not sexually mature until their second spring.
Home Nest: With their sharp teeth and strong, clawed feet, it is easy for them to make a burrow. Their homes can have as many as five openings. The dens are very long. They can have as much as 45 feet of tunnels and they can be as deep as 5 feet underground. Groundhog dens in open areas are used in the summer, but dens located under stumps, on rock ledges, and near protection are generally used during their winter hibernation. They clean their dens and you can tell if one is occupied by observing the soil at the entrance: if the soil's fresh then the den is occupied.
Defense: When alarmed, the woodchuck gives a loud, shrieking whistle, hence the name "whistle pig". When woodchucks are cornered it is often that in this position they will ground or chatter their teeth. During a fight a woodchuck may whistle, bark, or squeal. Instead of running from predators, the woodchuck will always back off into the nearest den.
Courting Behavior: To court, the males will go above ground and fight to win a mate. It has been noted that woodchucks may mate in groups with one head male, discouraging other males from mating.
Bibliography
Light,Jessica, "Marmota monax Online Animal Diversity Web May 25th, 1998.