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[46] [47] To survive the winter, they are at their maximum weight shortly before entering hibernation. [48] When the groundhog enters hibernation, there is a drop in body temperature to as low as 35 degrees Fahrenheit (2 °C), heart rate falls to 4–10 beats per minute and breathing rate falls to one breath every six minutes. [49]
Groundhogs are large rodents, weighing up to about 14 pounds and measuring up to 2 feet long. They have gray-brown or gray-red fur on stout bodies, short legs, clawed feet, and a small brushy tail.
The observance of Groundhog Day in the United States first occurred in German communities in Pennsylvania, according to known records. The earliest mention of Groundhog Day is an entry on February 2, 1840, in the diary of James L. Morris of Morgantown, in Pennsylvania Dutch Country, according to the book on the subject by Don Yoder. This was a ...
The lore behind Groundhog Day is if the rodent, roused from mid-hibernation, sees its shadow then winter goes on for another six weeks. If not, dust off your bathing suits for spring is on its way.
They can burrow into the soil, go under leaf litter, or use shelters like rocks as hibernacula. Although the air temperature in West Siberia can drop to −10 °C, the soil temperature at the depths where these lizards hibernate remains higher than −10 °C. This enables them to survive the harshest temperatures of any lizard. [18]
The average lifespan of a groundhog is around 10 years in captivity, and between four and five years in the wild, according to the Wildlife Rescue League. Phil fans believe the one and only ...
Some marine animals do go through periods of dormancy, but the effect is stronger and more widespread in terrestrial environments. As hibernation is a seasonal response, the movement of the ancestor of birds and mammals onto land introduced them to seasonal pressures that would eventually become hibernation. [45]
While Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow on Groundhog Day 2023, meaning a longer winter last year, this year, the groundhog says we should be expecting an early spring!