General Information

An animal of many names: woodchuck, whistle pig, thick wood badger, wood-shock, Canada marmot, land beaver, and many more. The groundhog is a medium sized mammal native to the Eastern, Northeastern, and Central parts of the United States and are widespread across Canada and on into Alaska. They are famous for building elaborate tunnels underground that they use for everything from giving birth to hibernating and even doing their business in.

A groundhog’s diet mainly consists of vegetation such as grass, alfalfa, berries, dandelion, clover, and other similar plants and fruits. They have also been known to eat other small animals like snails, grasshoppers, and grubs, especially after waking up from their winter sleep.

Groundhogs are also one of nature’s “true hibernators” meaning that when they go to sleep for the winter (usually beginning in October) their heart rate and body temperature fall dramatically. After this period of hibernation, groundhogs here in the Bluegrass state typically emerge from their burrows starting in mid to late March and on into April. This is also the same timeframe in which groundhog mating season begins. Groundhog gestation periods are short compared to other animals of the same size at only 31 to 32 days. Most pups are born in May, being both blind and deaf.

Groundhog Description

Being medium sized animals, groundhogs are similar in size to several species such as raccoons, opossums, beavers, and so on. They are also the largest members of the squirrel family (Sciuridae). Their fur comes in several colors including brown, white, gray, and black and is very coarse in order to easily fleck dirt off of them while traveling underground.

They also have long incisor teeth to easily cut vegetation, wood, and defend themselves against predators. Have you ever noticed that in pictures these teeth are also very yellow or even orange? This is because the enamel that coats them contains iron minerals for enhanced protection. This is something commonly seen with other rodents such as squirrels, nutria rats, rabbits, and so on.

Interesting Facts

• To most people’s surprise, groundhogs can and have been observed to climb trees and also swim!

• While hibernating the groundhog’s heart rate drops from 80 beats per minute to just 5!

• Groundhog’s front teeth (incisors) grow up to a sixteenth of an inch per week.

• While they may seem fast, groundhogs can only run at a maximum speed of 8 miles per hour. This is very slow in comparison with other animals and especially predators like foxes and coyotes.

Inspecting for Groundhogs

An inspection is vital for all animal species we control, especially groundhogs! Information like how many holes they have, where the holes are located, how big the holes are, and where the most activity can be seen is all extremely beneficial to getting them under control.

Groundhog Trapping and Removal

At S-Tier we have a Superior combination of both expertise and equipment to deal with your most challenging groundhog infestation.

As always, if you find that your nuisance groundhog problem is becoming apparent or growing worse, call the pros at S-Tier today. We can efficiently and effectively remove groundhogs from causing any more damage to your home, garden, or otherwise. Call anytime at 859-492-6284 or email us at S-TierWildlifeControl@outlook.com