Geographic Range
Marmota monax
is the most widespread North American marmot species. The southern limits of its
range extend from eastern Oklahoma, northern Louisiana, Alabama, and Georgia to North
Carolina. The eastern limits of its range extend from North Carolina, along the Atlantic
coast, to Labrador, Canada. It's northern limits range from Labrador to southern Alaska.
Habitat
Marmota monax
has a wide geographic range and inhabits many different ecosystems. It is typically
found in low elevation forests, small woodlots, fields, pastures, and hedgerows.
Human activities (e.g., clearing forests, building roads, and agriculture) have increased
food access and abundance allowing
M. monax
to thrive. It constructs dens in well drained soils, and most have summer (located
near food sources) and winter (located near protective cover) dens.
- Habitat Regions
- temperate
- terrestrial
- Terrestrial Biomes
- savanna or grassland
- forest
- Other Habitat Features
- suburban
- agricultural
- riparian
Physical Description
Woodchucks are stocky in appearance and often stand up on their hind legs, making
them look tall. Their pelage varies greatly in color but ranges from gray to cinnamon
to dark brown. Their body is covered with white-tipped guard hairs giving them a
grizzled appearance. Their paws vary in color from a typical black to dark brown in
most subspecies. However, one subspecies has paws that appear pink. Their short bushy
tail is often black to dark brown and is 20 to 25% their total body length. They
weigh from 2 to 6 kg, range from 415 to 675 mm in total length, and have tails that
range from 100 to 160 mm in length. Although males and females are the same color,
males are larger than females. Woodchucks have white teeth, which is uncharacteristic
of rodents, and a dental formula of 1/1, 0/0, 2/1, 3/3, for a total of 22 teeth.
They have rounded ears that can cover the external auditory canal which prevents dirt
from entering the ear canal while burrowing.
- Other Physical Features
- endothermic
- homoiothermic
- bilateral symmetry
- Sexual Dimorphism
- male larger
Reproduction
Woodchucks are polygynous, with males having multiple mates per season. Male woodchucks
emerge from hibernation earlier than females in order to establish territories, dominance
hierarchies, and to search for mates. Older, more dominant males hold territories
whereas younger males are nomadic. With the exception of mating season, woodchucks
are non-social, and during breeding season, male-female interactions are limited to
copulation. Females are monoestrous and mating occurs only during the spring.
- Mating System
- polygynous
Breeding occurs shortly after emergence from hibernation in the spring, although the
exact time varies by latitude. Female woodchucks give birth to 1 to 9 offspring,
with most litters ranging between 3 and 5 pups. Pups weigh between 26 and 27 grams
upon birth. Gestation lasts from 31 to 32 days and weaning occurs around 44 days
old. Pups become independent very quickly and leave the mother around age 2 months
old. Some woodchucks become sexually mature at 1 year old, however, they often have
a lower pregnancy rate than others. Typically, woodchucks become sexually mature by
age 2. Breeding in captive individuals can occur year round.
- Key Reproductive Features
- iteroparous
- seasonal breeding
- gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate)
- sexual
- induced ovulation
- fertilization
- viviparous
Following birth, females provide all of the care for woodchuck pups. Pups nurse for
approximately 44 days and become independent at around 2 months of age. Occasionally,
females inherit their mothers den. Pups use the den for protection while the mother
is away.
- Parental Investment
- altricial
- female parental care
-
pre-weaning/fledging
-
provisioning
- female
-
protecting
- female
-
provisioning
-
pre-independence
-
provisioning
- female
-
protecting
- female
-
provisioning
- inherits maternal/paternal territory
Lifespan/Longevity
Woodchucks live 4 to 6 years in the wild but, due to predation and disease, often
do not live past age 3. Woodchucks may live up to 10 years in captivity.
Behavior
Woodchucks are diurnal, solitary animals. Dominant males have home ranges of approximately
10,000 m^2, which usually overlaps with those of at least 2 other females. Subordinate
males are nomadic. Females have a home range of about 2,500 m^2 in the spring, which
expands to greater than 10,000 m^2 after giving birth. Woodchucks are burrowing mammals
and generally construct summer and winter dens. These dens generally have several
entrances (including an escape hole) and many chambers and tunnels. Woodchucks usually
feed twice daily during the summer, with each feeding session lasting no more than
2 hours. They are often found sunning themselves in the middle of the day during
summer. Although usually asocial, woodchucks will sometimes greet each other nose
to nose. Woodchucks threatened by conspecifics respond by arching their bodies, baring
their teeth, and raising their tail. They also communicate via scent glands and vocalizations.
Generally, woodchucks are true hibernators; however, in the southern part of their
range, they have been known to stay active throughout the year. Woodchucks mate soon
after emerging from hibernation. During certain parts of the year, they may enter
torpor during the day.
- Key Behaviors
- terricolous
- fossorial
- diurnal
- crepuscular
- motile
- nomadic
- sedentary
- hibernation
- daily torpor
- solitary
- territorial
- dominance hierarchies
Home Range
Woodchuck home ranges vary throughout their geographic range. However, evidence suggests
that home ranges are approximately 10,000 m^2 for males and 2,500 m^2 for females,
prior to parturition.
Communication and Perception
Woodchucks are territorial and non-social. Sight, smell, and sound are important
for communication among conspecifics. Secretions from facial and anal glands are used
to demarcate territorial boundaries. They also hiss, growl, shriek, whistle, teeth-chatter,
and bark. Woodchucks use their sight to detect predators and to make visual threats
to other conspecifics. Vocal threats, visual threats, and fighting are used to establish
social rank.
- Other Communication Modes
- scent marks
Food Habits
Woodchucks are diurnal and their feeding activity is highest during morning and afternoon.
Foraging bouts last less than 2 hours. Preferred forage includes alfalfa (
Medicago sativa
), clover (Genus:
Trifolium
), and dandelion (
Taraxacum officinale
). Other foods include bark, leaves, insects, and bird eggs. All woodchucks store
fat for winter hibernation.
- Animal Foods
- eggs
- insects
- mollusks
- Plant Foods
- leaves
- wood, bark, or stems
- seeds, grains, and nuts
- flowers
Predation
Woodchucks avoid predators by climbing trees and looking up periodically while feeding.
Their large body size may deters some predators. They often use their teeth to defend
themselves and produce a shrill whistle when threatened. Whistles also serve as a
warning call to conspecifics, especially juveniles. Young woodchucks hide in and
around the den for protection from potential predators. Known predators include gray
wolves (
Canis lupus
), coyotes (
Canis latrans
), domestic dogs (
Canis familiaris
), red foxes (
Vulpes vulpes
), gray foxes (
Urocyon cinereoargenteus
), black bears (
Ursus americanus
), lynx (
Lynx canadensis
), bobcats (
Lynx rufus
), hawks (
Accipitridae
), and snakes (
Serpentes
).
Ecosystem Roles
Abandoned woodchuck dens are used by a number of different species, including rabbits,
skunks, raccoons, opossums, foxes, weasels, ground squirrels, river otters, chipmunks,
meadow voles, short-tailed shrews, house mice, pine voles, white-footed mice, lizards,
snakes, and arthropods. They are also host to a number of different parasite species,
including botflies, nematodes, protozoa, tularemia, rabies, chiggers, mites, ticks,
fleas, and lice. Woodchucks are also prey for many predators species.
- Ecosystem Impact
- disperses seeds
- creates habitat
- soil aeration
- botfly ( Oestridae )
- nematodes ( Nematoda )
- protozoa ( Protista )
- tularemia ( Francisella tularensis )
- rabies ( Lyssavirus )
- chiggers and mites ( Trombiculidae )
- ticks ( Acarina )
- fleas ( Siphonaptera )
- lice ( Phthiraptera )
Economic Importance for Humans: Positive
Woodchucks have been used in biomedical research investigating hepatitis B, metabolic
function, obesity, energy balance, the endocrine system, reproduction, neurology,
cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular disease, and neoplastic disease. Additionally,
they are often targeted as game by hunters.
- Positive Impacts
- research and education
Economic Importance for Humans: Negative
Marmota monax
is known to destroy gardens, pastures, and agricultural crops. Their burrows have
been known to injure livestock and damage farm equipment and building foundations.
- Negative Impacts
- crop pest
Conservation Status
Due to their abundance and broad geographic range, woodchucks are listed as a species of least concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Other Comments
Woodchucks have numerous common names, including ground hog, and whistle pig. The
word "woodchuck" is a misinterpretation of their Native American name "wuchak", which
roughly translates as "the digger". Groundhog Day occurs when Punxsutawney Phil,
a captive woodchuck held in rural Pennsylvania, is awakened from hibernation in order
to determine if he will see his shadow. According to the legend, if he sees his shadow
there will be 6 additional weeks of winter. If he does not see his shadow, legend
predicts an early spring. The legend of Groundhog Day is likely due to the fact that
woodchucks often re-enter hibernation after emerging from their dens prematurely.
Additional Links
Contributors
Clinton Tobias (author), University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Phil Myers (editor, instructor), University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, John Berini (editor), Animal Diversity Web Staff, Tanya Dewey (editor), University of Michigan-Ann Arbor.
- Nearctic
-
living in the Nearctic biogeographic province, the northern part of the New World. This includes Greenland, the Canadian Arctic islands, and all of the North American as far south as the highlands of central Mexico.
- native range
-
the area in which the animal is naturally found, the region in which it is endemic.
- temperate
-
that region of the Earth between 23.5 degrees North and 60 degrees North (between the Tropic of Cancer and the Arctic Circle) and between 23.5 degrees South and 60 degrees South (between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Antarctic Circle).
- terrestrial
-
Living on the ground.
- tropical savanna and grassland
-
A terrestrial biome. Savannas are grasslands with scattered individual trees that do not form a closed canopy. Extensive savannas are found in parts of subtropical and tropical Africa and South America, and in Australia.
- savanna
-
A grassland with scattered trees or scattered clumps of trees, a type of community intermediate between grassland and forest. See also Tropical savanna and grassland biome.
- temperate grassland
-
A terrestrial biome found in temperate latitudes (>23.5° N or S latitude). Vegetation is made up mostly of grasses, the height and species diversity of which depend largely on the amount of moisture available. Fire and grazing are important in the long-term maintenance of grasslands.
- forest
-
forest biomes are dominated by trees, otherwise forest biomes can vary widely in amount of precipitation and seasonality.
- suburban
-
living in residential areas on the outskirts of large cities or towns.
- agricultural
-
living in landscapes dominated by human agriculture.
- riparian
-
Referring to something living or located adjacent to a waterbody (usually, but not always, a river or stream).
- endothermic
-
animals that use metabolically generated heat to regulate body temperature independently of ambient temperature. Endothermy is a synapomorphy of the Mammalia, although it may have arisen in a (now extinct) synapsid ancestor; the fossil record does not distinguish these possibilities. Convergent in birds.
- bilateral symmetry
-
having body symmetry such that the animal can be divided in one plane into two mirror-image halves. Animals with bilateral symmetry have dorsal and ventral sides, as well as anterior and posterior ends. Synapomorphy of the Bilateria.
- polygynous
-
having more than one female as a mate at one time
- iteroparous
-
offspring are produced in more than one group (litters, clutches, etc.) and across multiple seasons (or other periods hospitable to reproduction). Iteroparous animals must, by definition, survive over multiple seasons (or periodic condition changes).
- seasonal breeding
-
breeding is confined to a particular season
- sexual
-
reproduction that includes combining the genetic contribution of two individuals, a male and a female
- induced ovulation
-
ovulation is stimulated by the act of copulation (does not occur spontaneously)
- fertilization
-
union of egg and spermatozoan
- viviparous
-
reproduction in which fertilization and development take place within the female body and the developing embryo derives nourishment from the female.
- altricial
-
young are born in a relatively underdeveloped state; they are unable to feed or care for themselves or locomote independently for a period of time after birth/hatching. In birds, naked and helpless after hatching.
- female parental care
-
parental care is carried out by females
- fossorial
-
Referring to a burrowing life-style or behavior, specialized for digging or burrowing.
- diurnal
-
- active during the day, 2. lasting for one day.
- crepuscular
-
active at dawn and dusk
- motile
-
having the capacity to move from one place to another.
- nomadic
-
generally wanders from place to place, usually within a well-defined range.
- sedentary
-
remains in the same area
- hibernation
-
the state that some animals enter during winter in which normal physiological processes are significantly reduced, thus lowering the animal's energy requirements. The act or condition of passing winter in a torpid or resting state, typically involving the abandonment of homoiothermy in mammals.
- solitary
-
lives alone
- territorial
-
defends an area within the home range, occupied by a single animals or group of animals of the same species and held through overt defense, display, or advertisement
- dominance hierarchies
-
ranking system or pecking order among members of a long-term social group, where dominance status affects access to resources or mates
- visual
-
uses sight to communicate
- tactile
-
uses touch to communicate
- acoustic
-
uses sound to communicate
- chemical
-
uses smells or other chemicals to communicate
- scent marks
-
communicates by producing scents from special gland(s) and placing them on a surface whether others can smell or taste them
- visual
-
uses sight to communicate
- tactile
-
uses touch to communicate
- acoustic
-
uses sound to communicate
- chemical
-
uses smells or other chemicals to communicate
- soil aeration
-
digs and breaks up soil so air and water can get in
- herbivore
-
An animal that eats mainly plants or parts of plants.
- folivore
-
an animal that mainly eats leaves.
References
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Grzimek, B. 2003. Woodchuck. Pp. 152-153 in Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia , Vol. 16/5, 2 Edition. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Group.
Kays, R., D. Wilson. 2002. The Mammals of North America . Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
Kurta, A. 1995. Mammals of the Great Lakes Region . Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press.
Kwiencinski, G. 1998. Marmota monax. Mammalian Species , 591: 1-8.
Whitaker, Jr., J., W. Hamilton, Jr.. 1998. Mammals of the Eastern United States . Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.
Yahner, R. 2001. Fascinating Mammals: conservation and ecology in the mid-eastern states . Pittsburgh, Pa: University of Pittsburgh Press.
Andromeda Oxford, Ltd. 2001. The Roots of Marmot Sociality. Pp. 612-613 in The Encylopedia of Mammals , Vol. 3, 2 Edition. New York, NY: Facts On File, Inc..
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. 2007. Woodchuck. Pp. 741 in The New Encyclopaedia Britannica , Vol. 12, 15 Edition. Chicago, IL: Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc..