groundhogs climb trees - who knew?

A few days ago, Ange and I spotted a large animal in a VERY tall walnut tree across the road. Imagine our surprise as we got closer and realized it was a chubby groundhog! I always thought woodchucks (aka groundhogs) were ground-dwellers, but it turns out I was wrong. They are adept tree climbers when escaping predators or when they want to scope out their surroundings.

This sighting prompted me to find out more about woodchucks. Here's what I learned:

1. Groundhogs are found from the eastern and central United States northward across Canada and into Alaska.
2. In the wild, groundhogs can live up to six years with two or three being average.
3. This animal is one of a few true hibernators. Groundhogs hibernate from late fall to late winter or early spring, which can add up to as many as six months of deep sleep.
4. A groundhog can weigh up to about 13 pounds and has a body length of up to 20 inches. It has a bushy tail up to 7 inches long.
5. Groundhogs are vegetarian. They eat grasses, other green plants, some fruits, and the bark and buds of trees.
6.  Groundhogs are good swimmers and can climb tall shrubs and trees.
7. They build intricate homes. Their underground burrows include multiple “rooms” with different purposes, including a sleeping chamber, a nursery chamber, and a waste chamber. It can stretch anywhere from eight to 66 feet long.
8. Groundhogs are preyed upon by several animals, such as wolves, coyotes, dogs, foxes, bobcats, lynxes and black bears. Birds of prey and snakes also hunt groundhogs.
9. Groundhogs whistle at potential mates, which is why they are also known as “whistlepigs.”
10. Groundhogs tend to be solitary, except in the spring when a typical litter of four to six young are born. The young stay with the mother for two to three months.

Information from:   https://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/blog/groundhogs-facts/