Wildlife Wednesday: Groundhog
Wednesday, August 29th, 2012
When visiting our Nova Scotia resort, you’re guaranteed to spot many different species of wildlife whom we share our home with! One species you’re likely to encounter is the groundhog and today we will be highlighting interesting facts about this animal for our Wildlife Wednesday series.
Groundhogs are most active during dawn and dusk and can often be spotted early or late in the day. Did you know they slowly enter hibernation over a period of three days to a month during the span of late October to March? This means their body temperature drops from 37°C to 3°C and their heart rate slows from 80 beats a minute to 5 beats a minute. The thick layer of fat that they build up during the summer provides them the energy the need to survive through hibernation!
Groundhogs are known to primarily eat green vegetation. When grass isn’t readily available, they rely on bark and twigs. Mating usually takes place in April with the young born in May. Litters can range from 1 to 8 young that are born without fur and eye sight!
Want to know about more Nova Scotia wildlife found at our nature lover’s resort? Take a look at our other Wildlife Wednesday blogs. We highlight a new animal every week!
To learn more about groundhogs, please visit the Shubenacadie Provincial Wildlife Park website.