When Is Groundhog Day?

Did groundhog see his shadow in 2023?

Punxsutawney Phil, the most famous groundhog in the U.S., saw his shadow on Thursday, forecasting that it’s going to be a long, cold winter.

What is Groundhog Day and why?

Groundhog Day
2022 celebration in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, US
Observed by	United States Canada
Type	Cultural
Significance	Predicts the arrival of spring
Celebrations	Announcing whether a groundhog sees its shadow after it emerges from its burrow
Date	February 2
Frequency	Annual
Related to	Candlemas

Groundhog Day ( Pennsylvania German : Grund’sau dåk, Grundsaudaag, Grundsow Dawg, Murmeltiertag ; Nova Scotia : Daks Day ) is a tradition observed in the United States and Canada on February 2 of every year starting in the 16th century. It derives from the Pennsylvania Dutch superstition that if a groundhog emerges from its burrow on this day and sees its shadow, it will retreat to its den and winter will go on for six more weeks; if it does not see its shadow, spring will arrive early.

• While the tradition remains popular in the 21st century, studies have found no consistent association between a groundhog seeing its shadow and the subsequent arrival time of spring-like weather.
• The weather lore was brought from German-speaking areas where the badger (German: Dachs ) is the forecasting animal.

It is related to the lore that clear weather on the Christian festival of Candlemas forebodes a prolonged winter. The Groundhog Day ceremony held at Punxsutawney in western Pennsylvania, centering on a semi-mythical groundhog named Punxsutawney Phil, has become the most frequently attended ceremony.

Is Groundhog Day the same day every year?

Groundhog Day is a cross-quarter day Every February 2 since 1887, Punxsutawney Phil in Pennsylvania has made his weather prediction. If it’s sunny and he sees his shadow, it’s said we’ll see six more weeks of winter. If it’s cloudy and he doesn’t see his shadow, it’s said to mean an early spring.

What did the groundhog predict for 2023?

Updated on: February 2, 2023 / 4:55 PM / CBS/AP Six more weeks of winter predicted Punxsutawney Phil predicts six more weeks of winter 00:39 Pennsylvania’s most famous groundhog emerged from his burrow on a cold Thursday morning and saw his shadow, declaring there would be six more weeks of winter. Punxsutawney Phil made his prediction as a deadly storm wreaked havoc in the South and the Northeast was bracing for a dangerous Arctic blast, People gathered Thursday at Gobbler’s Knob as members of Punxsutawney Phil’s “inner circle” summoned him from his tree stump at dawn to learn if he has seen his shadow – and they say he did. According to folklore, if he sees his shadow there will be six more weeks of winter. If he doesn’t, spring comes early. Groundhog Club handler A.J. Dereume holds Punxsutawney Phil, the weather prognosticating groundhog, during the 137th celebration of Groundhog Day on Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney, Pa., Thursday, Feb.2, 2023. Barry Reeger / AP The “inner circle” is a group of local dignitaries who are responsible for planning the events, as well as feeding and caring for Phil himself.

• The annual event in Punxsutawney originated from a German legend about a furry rodent.
• Officials in the community – which is about 65 miles northeast of Pittsburgh – welcomed a crowd of thousands to this year’s festivities.
• According to records dating back to 1887, Phil has predicted winter more than 100 times.

Ten years were lost because no records were kept, organizers said. The 2022 forecast called for six more weeks of winter, as did the year before, While Punxsutawney Phil may be the most famous groundhog seer, he’s certainly not the only one. New York City’s Staten Island Chuck made his prediction for an early spring during an event Thursday at the Staten Island Zoo.

Phil and Chuck made their predictions as a deadly storm system lashed a large swath of the southern U.S. with bands of sleet and snow for a third day on Wednesday. The storm grounded more than 3,300 flights, left hundreds of thousands without power, forced school closures and made already treacherous driving conditions worse.

At least eight weather-related deaths have been confirmed in Texas, according to numbers obtained by CBS News Wednesday.

In: Pennsylvania Winter Storm

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How did Groundhog Day start?

CNN — Every year, Americans in snowy states wait with bated breath to see whether Punxsutawney Phil will spot his shadow, And every year, we take Phil’s weather forecast – six more weeks of winter, or an early spring? – as gospel, meteorology be damned.

It’s about as strange (and cute) as holidays get. So how did Groundhog Day go from a kooky local tradition to an annual celebration even those of us who don’t worry about winter can find the fun in? We explore Groundhog Day’s origins from a tiny event to an American holiday we can all be proud of. Spoiler: there are badgers, immortality and at least one groundhog on the menu.

Every February 2, the members of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club trek to Gobbler’s Knob, Punxsutawney Phil’s official home just outside of town. Donning top hats and tuxedos, the group waits for Phil to leave his burrow, and if he sees his shadow, the town gets six more weeks of winter.

If he doesn’t see his shadow, Punxsutawney gets an early spring. But the early seeds of the Groundhog Day we know today were planted thousands of years ago, according to Dan Yoder, a folklorist “born and raised in the Groundhog Country of Central Pennsylvania” who penned the definitive history of the folk holiday turned national tradition.

The holiday evolved over centuries as it was observed by different groups, from the Celts to Germans to the Pennsylvania Dutch and eventually, by those in other parts of the US. Its evolution began in the pre-Christian era of Western Europe, when the Celtic world was the predominant cultural force in the region.

1. In the Celtic year, instead of solstices, there were four dates – similar to the dates we use today to demarcate the seasons – that were the “turning points” of the year.
2. One of them, per Yoder, was February 1.
3. These turning point dates were so essential to Europeans at the time that they Christianized them when Western Europe widely adopted Christianity.

While May 1 became May Day, and November 1 became All Saints’ Day, the February 1 holiday was pushed to the following day – and would eventually become Groundhog Day. First, though, the February holiday was known as “Candlemas,” a day on which Christians brought candles to church to be blessed – a sign of a source of light and warmth for winter.

• But like the other three “turning points,” it was still a “weather-important” date that signified a change in the seasons, Yoder wrote.
• And when agriculture was the biggest, if not only, industry of the region, predicting the weather became something of a ritual viewed as essential to the health of crops and townsfolk.

There was some mysticism attached to the holiday, too, as seen in a poem from 1678 penned by the naturalist John Ray: “If Candlemas day be fair and bright Winter will have another flight If on Candlemas day it be showre and rain Winter is gone and will not come again.” The animal meteorology element wasn’t folded in until German speakers came to parts of Europe formerly populated by the Celtic people and brought their own beliefs to the holiday – except, instead of a groundhog, they hedged their bets on a badger.

• An old European encyclopedia Yoder cited points to the German badger as the “Candlemas weather prophet,” though it’s not clear why.
• Sources including the state of Pennsylvania and the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club say the Germans also considered hedgehogs as harbingers of the new season.) When the holiday came overseas with the Pennsylvania Dutch, they traded the badger for an American groundhog, equally shy and subterranean and likely more prevalent in the area in which they settled.

Many sources claim that the original Groundhog Day took place in 1887, when residents of Punxsutawney set out to Gobbler’s Knob, known as Phil’s “official” home, but the first piece of evidence Yoder found of townspeople trusting a groundhog for the weather, a diary entry, was dated 1840.

1. And since Pennsylvania Dutch immigrants mostly arrived in the mid-to-late 18th century, it’s likely that the holiday existed for decades earlier than we have recorded, per the Library of Congress.
2. Part of the reason so many of us know about Groundhog Day is due to the 1993 film of the same name,
3. The phrase “groundhog day” even became shorthand for that déjà vu feeling of reliving the same day over and over.

But Punxsutawney Phil became something of a cult celebrity even before the film debuted – he appeared on the “Today” show in 1960, according to the York Daily Record, and visited the White House in 1986. He even charmed Oprah Winfrey, appearing on her show in 1995.

• Before he was a celebrity, though, he was lunch,
• In a terrible twist, the earliest Groundhog Days of the 19th century involved devouring poor Phil after he made his prediction.
• The year 1887 was the year of the “Groundhog Picnic,” Yoder said.
• Pennsylvania historian Christopher Davis wrote that locals cooked up groundhog as a “special local dish,” served at the Punxsutawney Elk Lodge, whose members would go on to create the town’s Groundhog Club.

Diners were “pleased at how tender” the poor groundhog’s meat was, Davis said. Groundhog meat eventually left the menu of Punxsutawney establishments as the townsfolk realized his worth. In the 1960s, Phil got his name, a nod to “King Phillip,” per the Groundhog Club.

• The specific King Phillip he was named for is unclear; Mental Floss pointed out that there has not been a King Phillip of Germany, where many Pennsylvania settlers came from, in centuries).
• Before that, he was simply “Br’er Groundhog.” Punxsutawney Phil’s popularity has inspired several imitators : There’s Staten Island Chuck in New York, Pierre C.

Shadeaux of Louisiana and Thistle the Whistle-pig of Ohio, to name a few fellow groundhog weather prognosticators. But there’s only one Phil, and he’s the original. Despite their early practice of noshing on Phil’s family, the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club avers that there has only been one Phil since 1886.

• He’s given an “elixir of life” every year at the summertime Groundhog Picnic, which “magically gives him seven more years of life,” the club said.
• Groundhogs can live up to six years in the wild and up to 14 in captivity, per PBS’ Nature, so do with that what you will.) Phil also doesn’t have to spend the offseason alone.

He’s married to Phyliss, per the Groundhog Club, who does not receive the same elixir of life and so will not live forever like her groundhog husband. There is no official word on how many wives Phil has outlived through over the years. As for his accuracy in weather-predicting – Phil’s hit or miss.

How long does a groundhog live?

Photo by Abigail Lynn on Unsplash. Groundhog (Marmota monax) : one of 14 species of marmots, a group of large ground squirrels AKA: woodchuck, groundpig, whistlepig Kingdom: | Animalia Phylum: | Chordata Class: | Mammalia Order: | Rodentia Family: | Sciuridae Genus: | Marmota Species: | M.

Monax Groundhog Day History: In the United States and Canada, Groundhog Day is a popular tradition celebrated every year on February 2. The holiday stems from a Pennsylvania Dutch superstition. It is believed that if a groundhog emerging from its burrow on this day sees its shadow, it will retreat to its den and winter will persist for six more weeks.

If it does not see its shadow, spring will arrive early. The most attended Groundhog Day ceremony is held at Punxsutawney in western Pennsylvania, centering around a semi-mythical groundhog named Punxsutawney Phil. Groundhog Day first appeared in the local Punxsutawney newspaper in 1886, according to The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club website,

The celebration has grown in size and popularity since its first celebration. Size and Weight: 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. Fur: Groundhogs have thick fur that ranges in various shades of brown. Their feet are darker, and their underparts are buff.

Melanistic and albino individuals sometimes occur in some populations. Diet: Groundhogs are vegetarian. They eat grasses, other green plants, some fruits, and the bark and buds of trees. They feed heavily in summer and early fall, accumulating huge fat reserves for their winter hibernation.

According to the National Wildlife Federation (NWF), a groundhog may pack in more than a pound of vegetation at one sitting during the warm season. This is similar to a 150-pound man scarfing down a 15-pound steak. Habitat: Groundhogs are most commonly found along forest edges, meadows, open fields, roads and streams.

They sometimes also live in dense forests. Although groundhogs dig deep and extensive burrow systems, they are also good swimmers and can climb tall shrubs and trees. Geography: Groundhogs are found from the eastern and central United States northward across Canada and into Alaska.

Lifespan: In the wild, groundhogs can live up to six years with two or three being average. In captivity, groundhogs reportedly live up to 14 years. Breeding: Groundhogs tend to be solitary except in the spring when a litter of four to six young are born. Litters of one to nine have been recorded. The young stay with the mother for two to three months.

Hibernation: The animal is one of a few true hibernators. It curls into what appears to be a lifeless ball. Its body temperature can drop from about 99 degrees Fahrenheit to as low as 37 F, according to NWF. Its heart rate slows from about 80 beats per minute to 5 and its breathing slows from around 16 breaths per minute to as few as 2.

1. During this time, about 150 days without eating, a woodchuck will lose no more than a fourth of its body weight, according to NWF.
2. This is possible due to all the energy saved by the lower metabolism.
3. Conservation Status: The groundhog is classified as a species of least concern on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.

In some areas, groundhogs are so numerous that they are regarded as pests. Their digging activities damage gardens and other surface vegetation. Threats: Groundhogs are preyed upon by several animals, such as wolves, coyotes, dogs, foxes, bobcats, lynxes and black bears.

Punxsutawney Phil’s seasonal predictions are not always accurate. In fact, Stormfax calculated that Phil has seen a 39% forecasting success rate since 1887. Groundhogs whistle at potential mates, which is why they are also known as “whistlepigs.” Groundhogs 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. Few animals hibernate as long as groundhogs. They hibernate from late fall to late winter or early spring, which can add up to as many as six months of deep sleep. Despite their intense hibernation habits, male groundhogs may wake up early to start looking for potential mates. They typically roam within 2-3 acres outside of their own burrow. According to NWF, mating does not take place at this time. The visits likely allow the animals to get to know each other before breeding in March. To accommodate its large appetite, woodchucks grow upper and lower incisors that can withstand wear and tear because they grow about a sixteenth of an inch each week, according to NWF.

Source: Encyclopedia Britannica

Who invented Groundhog Day?

The Groundhog Day celebration was created by a newspaper editor in Punxsutawney named Clymer Freas, who was part of a groundhog hunting club called the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club. Together, the group designated Punxsutawney Phil as the nation’s official groundhog meteorologist.

How does Groundhog Day end?

The 1993 Harold Ramis comedy “Groundhog Day” may not have spawned the hero-caught-in-a-time-loop genre, but it certainly prodded it to life. To this day, the film carries a 97% rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, Bill Slowik of The Chicago Tribune calls it “the best movie ever made.” It stars Bill Murray as Pittsburgh weather reporter Phil Connors and Andie McDowell as producer Rita Hanson, and features three perfectly played supporting characters: Larry the cameraman (Chris Elliott), Punxsutawney Mayor Buster Green (Brian Doyle-Murray), and Phil’s old schoolmate Ned Ryerson (Stephen Tobolowsky).

After four straight years covering Groundhog Day festivities, Phil has nothing but contempt for the holiday and the Punxsutawney locals, telling Rita “they’re hicks.” But a blizzard strands the news team in town overnight, and Phil is trapped in a loop that keeps returning him to his bed and breakfast room as the clock hits 6 a.m.

He exploits his predicament for every selfish purpose before finally learning to recognize, and eventually prioritize, the needs of others. In the process he falls in love with Rita, and on his umpteenth date with her — but still her first, with him — Phil tells her he is content, they kiss, and the spell is broken.

Why is it called Groundhog Day?

Groundhog Day, in the United States and Canada, day (February 2) on which the emergence of the groundhog ( woodchuck ) from its burrow is said to foretell the weather for the following six weeks. The beginning of February, which falls roughly halfway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox, has long been a significant time of the year in many cultures,

Among the Celts, for example, it was the time of Imbolc, observed in anticipation of the birth of farm animals and the planting of crops, and February 2 is also the date of the Christian festival of Candlemas, also called the feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin. During the Middle Ages there arose the belief that animals such as the badger and the bear interrupted their hibernation to appear on this day.

If the day was sunny and the animal saw its shadow, six more weeks of winter weather remained. If, however, the day was cloudy, it was a sign that the weather during the following weeks would be mild, leading to an early spring. German immigrants to the United States carried the legend with them, and in Pennsylvania the groundhog came to be substituted for the badger.

1. Since 1887 an animal in Punxsutawney, in the west-central part of the state, has been the centre of a staged appearance each February 2.
2. In what has become a media event, a groundhog designated Punxsutawney Phil is the centre of attention of television weathermen and newspaper photographers.
3. Although promoters of the local festival surrounding Punxsutawney Phil claim that the animals have never been wrong, an examination of the records indicates a correlation of less than 40 percent.

(Whether a groundhog does or does not emerge is thought to be related to the amount of fat it was able to store before going into hibernation.) Canada has a number of groundhogs that serve as weather prognosticators, perhaps the best known being those portraying Wiarton Willie, a white-furred, pink-eyed creature that has appeared on the Bruce Peninsula, northwest of Toronto, since 1956.

How long was Phil stuck in Groundhog Day?

This might be one of the greatest mysteries of cinema, but it has never truly been revealed. Director Harold Ramis, commenting on the premise in a special feature of the movie, estimated that Phil was stuck in the time loop for about 10,000 years, before later saying it was probably more like 10 years.

What national day is February 2?

National Groundhog Day on February 2nd each year asks one question. Will he see his shadow? Ok, well, maybe it asks another question.

Is groundhog accurate?

Every Feb.2, America turns to the town of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, for a sliver of hope that the cold winter will end sooner rather than later. A groundhog, named Punxsutawney Phil, is roused from a stump on Gobbler’s Knob each year. Legend has it that if the large rodent sees his shadow, then there are six more weeks of winter ahead.

If not, spring will arrive early. WILL THE GROUNDHOG’S WINTER PROPHECY HOLD TRUE? PUNXSUTAWNEY PHIL SEES SHADOW IN 2023 The animal prognosticator has been at it since the 1880s. Records kept by the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club show Phil has predicted 107 continued winters and only 20 early springs as of 2023.

According to the Stormfax Almanac, that works out to a 39% accuracy rate for Phil. In the near term, the groundhog’s accuracy rate is slightly better. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Phil has been right about 40% of the time on average over the past decade. In 2021, Phil predicted more winter. According to NOAA, his forecast was about half right. February 2021 was the coldest since 1989, but March turned out to be warmer than average. Phil saw his shadow again in 2022, which meant another prediction of a continued winter.

What is the definition of a groundhog?

Groundhog in American English (ˈɡraundˌhɑɡ, -hɔɡ) noun. a stocky North American burrowing rodent, Marmota monax, that hibernates in the winter; woodchuck.

Why was he stuck in Groundhog Day?

The real reason behind the time loop in ‘Groundhog Day’ The 1990s was one of the most important decades for American cinema, seeing the emergence of exciting new auteurs such as Quentin Tarantino. When we think about it, many masterpieces inevitably pop into our mind, but it’s hard to find a ’90s film that is as influential as Harold Ramis’,

• Featuring Bill Murray in one of his most iconic roles and a brilliant screenplay co-written by Ramis and Danny Rubin, Groundhog Day will always be a fan-favourite.
• Groundhog Day stars Murray as Phil Connors – an insufferable, cynical TV weather reporter who travels to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, to cover an annual spectacle.

However, he finds himself trapped in a seemingly endless time loop where he is forced to live the same day over and over again. While Groundhog Day has only grown in popularity since its release, it experienced a huge boost during the pandemic because audiences related to that unique feeling of being stuck in time.

During a conversation with, Murray said: “I feel that. I hear that from people — that they can’t believe that this day goes on over and over again, and it’s the same day where you’re left to your own devices to create life out of limited conditions. It’s probably good? Some good has come out of COVID.

It’s made people more self-reliant and made them be able to cook, and walk, and exercise, and play music, and read, do something for other people in some way—even if they have to be confined to their own homes.” The actor added: “It’s an unusual condition that we’ve been given to work with, and in the moments you can grab it, take it, and work with it, it’s great.

We’ve all had ups and downs in it. We always talk about the ‘Greatest Generation,’ which has always upset me a little bit. Oh, are we finished now? We had the Greatest Generation? They had a Depression, and they had a World War — ugly, ugly circumstances — and that created this stick-to-itiveness. It revealed this gumption in people to survive, and I think that’s what’s coming out of this thing, too.” The film’s narrative plays around with the concept of a time loop in innovative ways, raising existential questions about ethics and the human condition within a fascinating context.

While the philosophical implications of such a loop have always intrigued audiences, the original reason behind the loop is actually quite banal. In an early draft of the film’s script, it was suggested that the loop was created because an ex-girlfriend cursed Connors after a nasty breakup.

1. The writers were right in their decision to remove this part from the draft because it detracts from the nuances of the terrifying loop, which forced Connors to reflect on his actions and become a better man.
2. In fact, the randomness of this crippling phenomenon is the major reason why Groundhog Day works so well as a philosophical text.

You don’t need an ex to destabilise your life completely. Sometimes, the universe does it for no apparent reason. } } } } } } : The real reason behind the time loop in ‘Groundhog Day’

Was Groundhog Day an original idea?

How to use fantasy as a metaphor for life – Groundhog Day (1993) — Columbia Pictures Is it romance or comedy? A fantasy or a philosophical drama? Groundhog Day started as one thing and ended up an entirely different film, breaking some lifelong friendships along the way. In the end, Groundhog Day is all of it, beautifully knit together.

It makes us think about concepts of time, memory, the meaning of life and allows us to ride a rollercoaster of emotions. As a bonus, it is hilarious. Danny Rubin first came up with an idea of a man living the same day repeatedly in the 1980s. Then years later, he had another idea of a man-child vampire who lives forever among regular people.

Then, he combined the two ideas and wrote the first draft of The Groundhog Day, However, this first draft changed dramatically during development. The original version was much darker, less funny. Rubin had two choices: Columbia Pictures or a small independent company that would give him full control over the script.

But he chose to go with Columbia Pictures even though they wanted a big comedy rather than an original story. However, the director Harold Ramis, who wanted the script in the first place, wanted both. So he re-wrote a more comedic version of the script according to his vision, taking the credit as co-writer.

Between the two of them, they wrote several drafts, also including Bill Murray in the process. Bill Murray was Ramis’s lifelong friend and partner in many other films, such as the Ghostbusters series. However, Bill Murray was in a bad mood due to personal matters, and he also developed creative differences with Ramis in this project.

Where do groundhogs live?

Habitat – Groundhogs are widely distributed across North America, ranging as far south as Alabama and as far north as Alaska. They build extensive burrows —anywhere from eight to 66 feet long—with multiple entrances and rooms, including bathrooms. Some groundhogs even have more than one burrow. But these mammals tend to keep to themselves, only seeking one another out when it’s time to mate.

Can groundhogs be pets?

February 2nd is the day each year in which we look towards a giant rodent to find out how much more winter we’ll have to endure. This year, we probably know the answer: winter hasn’t been very wintry. According to tradition, the groundhog, Marmota monax, also known as a woodchuck or whistle pig, peeks out of its burrow on February 2nd and checks to see if it has a shadow.

Groundhog or Woodchuck Marmota monax
Lifespan	3 years
Weight	13 pounds
Length	25 inches
Color	Various shades of brown
Sexual Maturity	3 years
Gestation Period	32 days
Litter Size	4-6 chucklings
Adult Predators	Coyotes, Foxes, Dogs

Your browser does not support the audio element. This stout-bodied rodent weighs up to 13 pounds and has a body length of up to about 20 inches and a short, bushy tail up to 7 inches long. Thick fur on the upper parts ranges in color through various shades of brown.

1. The feet are darker, and the underparts are buff.
2. Melanistic (nearly black) and albino individuals sometimes occur in some populations.
3. Found from the eastern and central United States northward across Canada and into Alaska, they most commonly live along forest edges abutting meadows, open fields, roads, and streams, but they are occasionally also encountered in dense forests.

The groundhog is solitary except in the spring. Groundhogs have four incisors, shaped like chisels, two upper and two lower of which the upper two continue to grow at the rate of 1/16 of an inch every week! To keep the growth of the front teeth in check the groundhogs have to constantly chew or gnaw on leaves or grass. Both male and female groundhogs tend to occupy the same territories year after year. For females, there is very little overlap between home ranges except for the late spring and early summer, as females try to expand their territories. During this time, their ranges may overlap by as much as 10 percent.

• Males have non-overlapping territories as well, though any male territory coincides with 1 to 3 mature females’ territories.
• Interactions between female groups — even when those groups are shared by the same adult male — are rare and aggressive.
• Even though daddy groundhog doesn’t live at home, from the breeding season through the first month of the infants’ lives, he visits each of his female groups every day.

Groundhogs are active during the day. In summer they commonly feed in the early morning and the late afternoon, spending the rest of the day sleeping or basking in the sun. In late summer they begin to put on weight in preparation for the move to their winter dens, often located in wooded areas.

They hibernate from October through March. While hibernating, a groundhog’s body temperature drops from 99°F to 40°F, and its heartbeat drops from 100 beats per minute to 4 beats per minute! Groundhogs can swim in order to evade predators or survey their territory for potential food sources. Their net legs make it easy to swim, and the paddles allow you to sail the water.

Its tail is mighty and can also be used as a defensive device – either by hitting an enemy or slamming it into the water to create an intense splash. Groundhogs can swim at about 2 miles per hour. Groundhogs live in extensive burrows two- to six-feet deep and up to 40 feet long that contain numerous chambers with specific functions, such as for nesting or for wastes. You can usually spot the main entrance by an adjacent large mound of dirt, which these animals use for observation and sun-basking.

• In addition, there may be as many as five other openings to the den.
• Mainly vegetarians, groundhogs feed on a variety of grasses and chickweeds, clover, plantains, and many varieties of wild and cultivated flowers.
• They eat blackberries, raspberries, cherries, and other fruits, along with the bark of hickory and maple trees.

Of course, to the chagrin of gardeners, groundhogs love fresh produce, as well. They will even eat grasshoppers, June bugs, and other large insects. Woodchucks do not mate until their second year. The average life span for a woodchuck in the wild is five to six years. Males and females breed in March or April, after which they have no further contact. The female groundhog raises the chucklings alone.

Woodchucks give birth from early April to mid-May following a 32-day gestation period. One litter contains four to six kits. The young open their eyes at four weeks and are weaned at 6 weeks, when they’re ready to leave the burrow with their mother. In the fall the young woodchucks venture off to seek their own territories.

Infants stick around home for only about 2 to 3 months after being born and then they disperse and leave mom’s burrow. However, a significant proportion, about 35% of females stick around longer, leaving home just after their first birthdays, right before mom’s new litter arrives.

1. What do groundhogs eat? Groundhogs eat everything from flowers to vegetables.
2. Favorite foods include alfalfa, clover, peas, beans, lettuce, broccoli, plantain, and soybeans.
3. Groundhogs will often devour your seedlings before they even have time to grow.
4. If you don’t have vegetables around, groundhogs will settle for twigs, bark, bugs, and blossoms.

These critters may have been attracted by your garden full of tasty plants. Encourage them to go elsewhere. Sprinkle blood meal, ground black pepper, dried blood, or talcum powder around the perimeter of your garden. You can try using hair clippings as well. Puree and strain hot peppers and garlic, mix them with water and enough liquid soap to make it stick, and spray it liberally around the garden.

1. Put some harmless but strong-smelling substance just inside the burrow (such as urine-saturated clumps of kitty litter).
2. Loosely seal the entrance, so the smell stays inside the burrow.
3. Would you eat lettuce tossed with bobcat urine? Neither would a woodchuck! Fox, coyote, wolf, and bobcat urines are among the forbidding predator scents now sold as groundhog repellents.

Keep undergrowth and grass cover low to deter groundhogs. Groundhogs are always looking for vacant burrows. Close down their tunnel systems. Bury 3-foot square panel of welded wire, centered over the entrance hole before an abandoned burrow is rediscovered.

Groundhogs do not make good pets, as they obviously dig and chew through almost anything in their path. Odds are, they will find a way out of a cage and will escape eventually. It is especially important that you do not try to keep baby groundhogs, even if you know they are orphaned. It is best to call your local animal control or an animal shelter to ask if they can take them in and rehabilitate them.

Baby groundhogs are very sensitive, and can die if not given the proper attention. Despite being cute, groundhogs do not make good pets. Beavers — Nature’s Hydrologist, Part 1 Wisconsin’s Rabbits and Hares Garter Snakes — The Gardener’s Friend Wisconsin Native Salamanders Voles, Both The Good and The Bad

How old was the groundhog that died?

News Across the U.S. Blondin believes Fred died in hibernation late last year. Fred was 9-years-old, organizers said, living far longer than the average life expectancy of three years, according to Terminix. Groundhog Day, explained:Can a rodent predict the weather better than a meteorologist can?

What is the purpose of a groundhog?

Bumbling and shy, groundhogs (aka woodchucks) may damage your yard. Here’s how to get rid of groundhogs—the kind way. Known for Groundhog Day and weather prediction, nearsighted groundhogs (aka woodchucks) have an important place in the ecosystem. They provide food for coyotes, foxes, weasels, badgers, hawks and eagles, and their burrows give shelter to amphibians, reptiles, rodents and foxes.

Learn More About Groundhogs Just the possibility that groundhogs might cause problems one day is used as an excuse to “control” them, but people and groundhogs can coexist for years without conflict. If you have a groundhog burrow on your property and don’t have any conflicts with its occupants, let it be.

But if they’re eating more than their fair share of your crops or causing damage to your property, here’s how to handle them with kindness.

What is Groundhog Day message?

5 Mental Health Lessons From Groundhog Day Quotes Last year I curled up on my couch during the first week of February for an annual tradition I’ve done since I was a kid — watching Groundhog Day on Groundhog Day. The 1993 dark comedy, starring Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell, was written and directed by the late Harold Ramis.

The story tells of a cynical self-absorbed weatherman who’s assigned to cover the annual Groundhog Day Festival in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. After a snowstorm forces the news team to stay in the hamlet another night, Phil wakes up to “I Got You Babe” on the local oldies station to live the same day over and over again.

Although I’ve been watching the film for over 20 years, my viewing in 2021 was different. I was stuck inside during the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the recent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol had forced me to give up my “Dry January” commitment just six days in.

• Groundhog Day, the story of living the same day over and over again, felt more real than ever.
• I was Phil Connors, struggling through a bizarre world where each day appeared the same but somehow different.
• It was a time when I questioned society, the structures that had raised me, and chose to learn a musical instrument (unlike Phil, I failed drastically at it).

The film was no longer a clever youthful comedy. It had become of reflection of my complicated adult life. But more than an allegory of quarantine, Groundhog Day asked questions about personal growth. Phil’s character arch goes from career-driven egomaniac to a do-gooder community member.

In between, Phil wrestles with guilt, failed love, bitterness, and suicidal thoughts. Through Phil’s mental health journey, the audience experiences the change of a character internally, even though his physical circumstances remain the same. The meaning of the Groundhog Day movie can be as simple as a parable of goodwill, but watching the film last year showed me a deeper understanding of the film’s message.

Groundhog Day dealt with the challenges of living in our modern society and the experiences we face as humans when we are isolated, afraid, and lost. Here are 5 Groundhog Day quotes that provide mental health lessons:

What does Groundhog Day teach us?

The movie Groundhog Day is hilariously entertaining, touching, and has thousands of implicit lessons for improving one’s life, community, and the world. Some of you may know I wrote my dissertation on the 1993 romantic fantasy starring Bill Murray, directed by the late Harold Ramis.

Anyone looking to glean its leadership lessons, please read on. If you’re wondering about this film’s relevance to leadership, consider that Phil Connors was a community leader, by the end of the film, as well as a man who got what he wanted. In his example we see that there are many ways to take in the environment and choices to be made around what to pay attention to and enact fulfillment of strategic and intimate needs.

Leadership psychology geeks: Think about all those two by two grids, or fancier circumplexes, variations of task and relationship that can ranked on a continuum from high to low. Leaders need to be proficient in flexing these, not so as to trick followers, as was Phil Connors’ early impulse, but to direct and support a quality experience of need fulfillment for all stakeholders.

Here are some specific leadership lessons from Groundhog Day: BE NICE Nice means not merely polite but kind, interested, engaged, helpful and vulnerable. Phil got Rita by being nice, not just being nice to his object of desire but nice to everyone who crossed his path. This included extending himself (task) and exposing his feelings (relationship).

Yeah, he lost it near at the end with the kid he kept catching from the tree who never thanked him, but that’s part of being human. DO YOUR BEST STARTING WITH BEING PRESENT Your best may be different at different times, and at different tasks and in different situations, but it begins with presence and you always know when you are doing it.

(If you don’t, you need to start paying more attention.) Think about Phil Connors phoning in the first report on Punxsutawney Phil versus the poetic one that quoted Chekhov. Same task, very different quality of presence with different effects on the viewers. “Presence” is not about attracting attention to oneself, as some seem to think, but about being present and PAYING attention.

DO WHAT THE UNIQUE SITUATION REQUIRES Speaking of presence, don’t settle for calculated efficiency at work and mindless indulgence at home. Every situation requires our deliberate and attentive engagement in some combination of discipline and warmth. Co-workers have feelings, much like your friends and family; stuff has to get accomplished in one’s personal life, much like at work; there is such a thing as “interpersonal competence.” Phil worked hard to learn to play the piano and speak French for the sake of a relationship, not to get ahead at work.

• And, conversely, as noted above, Phil’s excellence at work impacted his coworkers emotionally.
• Relationships are work and work is a network of relationships-don’t artificially compartmentalize those two domains.
• DON’T ASSUME THE END JUSTIFIES THE MEANS When it comes to relationships, the means is the end.

If you act otherwise you may deserve to be slapped, as Phil was many times. Work may be more goal-oriented, but if you take that to an extremeEnron. There are times to be single-mindedly goal-oriented and times to be more accepting and receptive; cultivate the wisdom to tell how much of each is needed.

• If something is just not meant to be, as when Phil tried over and over to save the homeless man’s life, all your efforts will not lead to the end you want.
• That’s part of life: honor your effort, accept the loss, learn what you can, and move on with greater wisdom, compassion, and maturity, as Phil did when he stopped pursuing Rita and simply did his best to create mutually satisfying experiences with her.

LEARN FROM FEEDBACK Speaking of learning, never give up, (even suicide doesn’t help Phil) but don’t persist in a losing strategy—if you feel stuck and can’t “leave Punxsutawney” (whatever that means for you), you can always take the opportunity to “develop in place” and learn new skills.

• Try being 5% nicer, more present, more experimental, and more accepting of what you can’t change and see what happens.
• Not all feedback occurs in a formal performance evaluation; the environment is a steady source if we pay attention.
• Our ability to attain both transformation and fulfillment is developed through iterative experimentation and practice.

As we allow our world to develop us to meet its challenges, we also help develop our world as a place where we all can achieve and be nurtured and sustained together. Finally, remember that others are watching and learning from your example as a leader, just as we have watched and learned from Phil.

What is the meaning of groundhogging?

If you’ve been dating for a while with varying levels of success, chances are you’re feeling a little fatigued by it all. If the luster has dulled and you find yourself just going through the motions, it might be time to reassess your approach to meeting new people.

1. In 2022, dating is just as hard, if not harder, than it’s ever been.
2. Lockdowns are done but many of us are still feeling a little jaded by the same old DM dances, lingo, awkward hangs — or the dreaded fix-ups.
3. But it’s all part of the process, right? And the experience helps us learn more about ourselves and relationships.

Advertisement ADVERTISEMENT The more we date, the more we figure out what it is we’re looking for in a potential match — or what we know we’re not looking for. But whether it’s based on experience or just an inherent preference, we all tend to lean towards having a ‘type’,

1. If not physical characteristics, then maybe it’s the way they dress, their profession, what their drink of choice is, or perhaps their taste in music.
2. And that’s fair enough, since establishing common ground is a great foundation for any new relationship.
3. But what if the very idea that the person that’s right for us will fit into this mould, is what’s holding us back from meeting really great people? Well, there’s a name for that fun little habit, and it’s called groundhogging,

A reference to the classic film Groundhog Day, ‘groundhogging’ refers to the idea that people tend to go for the same type of person over and over again, while expecting different results. They are drawn to the people who fit their ‘ideal’ type, date them, but end up feeling underwhelmed, or experiencing the same old issues — shocking! And when things go sour, we’re right back on those apps, swiping the same profiles, and the cycle resumes.

• If our current situations aren’t working for us, perhaps it’s time to look inward at the ways we may be sabotaging our chances to meet great people.
• New research from global dating app Inner Circle reveals that 72% of its app users admit to having a ‘type’.
• Whether that’s someone who’s over 6 feet tall or a blue-eyed engineer, daters know exactly what they want before they even start looking.

However, four in five singles reported that dating their type isn’t going well — with fewer than a quarter saying they’d be up for seeing someone who doesn’t fit their usual type. So perhaps, just like the film, there’s an important lesson in all that repetition.

1. Advertisement ADVERTISEMENT The more people you meet, the more you learn about what’s out there, and what’s right for you.
2. We all have had the young, naive crush we’re very grateful didn’t work out.
3. Now imagine if you had never gained that perspective.
4. Because while there are a lot of duds out there, meeting new people can do wonders for the mind.

And you may find that your ‘type’ isn’t actually what you in 2022 wants (or needs) at all. So, how do we break the cycle? Well, it’s easier said than done, but it’s really on us to be more open and try to tune out that critical voice in our heads that seeks out the familiar.

So they don’t have any tattoos, listen to Phoebe Bridgers, and can’t tell the difference between a burger and a really good burger. There’s the small stuff that would be nice to have in a partner, and then there’s the stuff that really doesn’t have to matter. And besides, isn’t shoving all the things you enjoy at the person you’re seeing part of the fun, anyway? We don’t want to waste time trying to get to know every person we interact with, or go on dates with people we know, for whatever reason, that we’re fundamentally not a match with.

But if our current situations aren’t working for us, perhaps it’s time to look inward at the ways we may be sabotaging our chances to meet great people.