To that end, groundhogs have been known to eat 1 pound or more of vegetation at a time, the wildlife federation reports. If you're going to sleep the winter away, you're going to need to make up for it by packing it in during spring, summer and fall. However, they do not typically emerge so early in February. Here in Illinois, groundhogs do typically emerge from hibernation in February, the University of Illinois Extension reports. Instead, he is awoken just for the spectacle. In the case of Punxsutawney Phil, he doesn't naturally emerge from his hibernation each year for his special day.

Still, though, groundhogs lose about 25 percent of their body weight during hibernation, the wildlife federation reports. Their heartbeat slows from about 80 beats per minute to just five beats per minute, and their breathing slows from about 16 breaths per minute to as few as two breaths per minute.ĭuring this deep sleep, their metabolic rate is much lower than while they are active, which means they aren't as reliant on their fat stores than they would otherwise be if they were active. While hibernating, a groundhog's body temperature drops from about 99 degrees Fahrenheit to as low as 37 degrees Fahrenheit, the National Wildlife Federation reports. Groundhogs enter into a state of deep sleep in late fall and remain hibernating for about three months, emerging in late winter. This whole business of Punxsutawney Phil predicting the weather is possible in part because groundhogs are one of the few animals that are true hibernators. They are one of our area's few true hibernators Still, though, the club is mum on just how many groundhogs have played the role of Phil through the years, instead claiming him to be immortal. According to official records kept by the club, Phil sees his shadow far more often than not. The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club would like you to believe there is just one Phil, but with a maximum lifespan of just six years in the wild and possibly as many as 15 years in captivity, this is, of course, an impossibility. The legend dates back to 1886, when the newspaper in the western Pennsylvania town of Punxsutawney first published a report that local groundhogs had not seen their shadow on Feb. The world's most famous groundhog - or, rather, only famous groundhog with the exception of the Forest Preserve's mascot Willy - has been predicting either an early spring or six more weeks of winter for more than a century. Phil has been predicting the weather for a long time Intrigued by these creatures? Here are five more fun facts. You might call it kissing, but scientists call it naso-oral contact. When this happens, one groundhog will touch its nose to the mouth of the other groundhog, Scientific American reports. They do have a rather unusual greeting, however, in those rare times when they meet each other. Like many animals, groundhogs are typically solitary, only coming together to mate. Marmots are most closely related to squirrels, which makes groundhogs a sort of large ground squirrel, National Geographic reports. They are rodents, more specifically a type of rodent called a marmot. While groundhogs don't have any special prognosticating skills when it comes to the weather, they are interesting creatures nonetheless. Who can blame us, though, for seeking out a groundhog for some good news? By February, most of us are dreaming of the warmer weather to come, and if a groundhog helps us be hopeful for even just a fleeting moment, so be it. 2 is a cloudy or sunny day than anything else. The legend of famous groundhog Punxsutawney Phil gets a lot of attention every year, but you probably already know that whether he sees his shadow has more to do with whether Feb.

Do ground hogs hibernate