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Groundhogs are those furry weather forecasters of February.
Also known as woodchucks, groundhogs spend the cold months in an underground burrow, hibernating.
If you've seen a portly groundhog waddling along, you'll find its name is quite appropriate.
They're stout animals, with strong legs built for digging.
And, expert diggers they are,
sometimes making a complete burrow in one day.
Groundhogs are covered with a grizzly brown fur.
They're one to two feet long, weighing up to 14 pounds.
Of course, groundhogs are heftiest in fall just before hibernation,
and they awaken skinny in spring, sometimes at half their fall weight.
By early November most groundhogs are already hibernating.
In this area, groundhogs begin emerging in early February.
Contrary to popular belief, they come out looking for plants to eat, not their shadows.