Wednesday, February 2, 2022

Map of a Groundhog Hole

Today is the day when supposedly the groundhogs awake from their sleeping chambers and head out of their burrows, possibly needing to turn around in the turn-around chamber first.

The groundhog's burrow is a complicated structure with numerous chambers for sleeping, nursing and waste. They smartly put the waste chamber out of sight and hopefully smell. These burrows are usually occupied from October to March and can be up to 40 feet long and six feet deep. Their body temperature drops down to 40°F (about the temperature my body has felt for the last week or two) and their heart rate drops to 4 beats per minute. I got this diagram and information from Wisconsin Pollinators where I get all my information and opinions. 

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Here is another version from "Alex C-W",

This is also from a Wisconsin-based site, the University of Wisconsin Arboretum.

UPDATE: He went back in his hole 🙁

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