woodchuck
(Marmota monax)
Conservation • Description • Habitat • Biology • Distribution • Taxonomy
Conservation Status |
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| IUCN Red List | LC - Least Concern |
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| NatureServe | N5 - Secure SNR - Unranked |
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| Minnesota | not listed |
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Description |
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Size |
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Head and body: Tail: |
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Sign |
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The entrance to a woodchuck den is usually |
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Similar Species |
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Habitat |
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Forest edges and openings, open woodlands |
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Biology |
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Behavior |
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Lifespan |
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2 to 6 years |
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Life Cycle |
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Food |
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Distribution |
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Sources Canada woodchuck (M. m. canadensis) is found in north-central and northeast Minnesota. Rufescent woodchuck (M. m. rufescens) is found in the remainder of the state. Southern woodchuck (M. m. monax) may be found in the counties along the southern border. |
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| 8/4/2023 | ||||
Occurrence |
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Common and widespread |
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Taxonomy |
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| Class | Mammalia (mammals) | ||
| Subclass | Theria | ||
| Infraclass | Eutheria (placental mammals) | ||
| Magnorder | Boreoeutheria | ||
| Superorder | Euarchontoglires (primates, rodents, and allies) | ||
| Grandorder | Glires (rodents and rabbits) | ||
| Order | Rodentiia (rodents) | ||
| Suborder | Sciuromorpha (squirrels, dormice, and mountain beavers) | ||
Family |
Sciuridae (squirrels) | ||
Subfamily |
Xerinae (ground and African tree squirrels) | ||
| Tribe | Marmotini (holarctic ground squirrels) | ||
Genus |
Marmota (marmots) | ||
| Subgenus | Marmota (Palearctic marmots and groundhogs) | ||
Subordinate Taxa |
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British Columbia woodchuck (Marmota monax petrensis) Canada woodchuck (Marmota monax canadensis) Kansas marmot (Marmota monax bunkeri) Labrador woodchuck (Marmota monax ignava) New England woodchuck (Marmota monax preblorum) ochraceous woodchuck (Marmota monax ochracea) rufescent woodchuck (Marmota monax rufescens) southern woodchuck (Marmota monax monax) woodchuck (Marmota monax johnsoni) woodchuck (Marmota monax melanopus) |
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Synonyms |
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Common Names |
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ground hog woodchuck |
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Visitor Photos |
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Share your photo of this mammal. |
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| This button not working for you? Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com. Attach one or more photos and, if you like, a caption. |
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Luciearl |
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I've known a woodchuck lived on our hill for years. Never got a close up look until today. A couple of the dogs had cornered it under the steps. It was more like a chortling sound, not sounding like squirrel or chipmunk. After getting the dogs in the house, found the woodchuck in a pine near our porch. |
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Christa Rittberg |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos |
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Mound |
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Slideshows |
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| Woodchucks Andree Reno Sanborn |
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About
Marmota monax |
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| Marmota monax (Woodchuck) Allen Chartier |
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Visitor Videos |
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Share your video of this mammal. |
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| This button not working for you? Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com. Attach a video, a YouTube link, or a cloud storage link. |
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Leah Starks |
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| Marmota monax (Woodchuck/Groundhog) Feb 3, 2023 |
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About
Spotted near Pine City, MN |
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Other Videos |
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| Groundhog - Marmota monax - YouTube JCVdude |
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About
Published on Apr 28, 2013 This year groundhogs or marmots made their appearance fairly early, and after a good winter of sleep they are hungry... |
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| Groundhog (Marmota monax) TheChannelOfAnimals |
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About
Published on Apr 24, 2013 A wild groundhog (Marmota monax) looks for food. This video was recorded on April 6, 2013 in Guilford, Connecticut. |
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| Woodchuck (Sciuridae: Marmota monax) Female Carl Barrentine |
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About
Uploaded on Jun 29, 2010 Photographed at Grand Forks, North Dakota (28 June 2010). |
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| Wild Moments: How Do Woodchuck's Hibernate? wgaltv |
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About
Uploaded on Jan 10, 2011 Woodchucks don't really chuck wood. But they do hibernate and they do it a bit differently than you may expect. News 8's Jack Hubley looks at the woodchuck's seemingly contradictory winter lifestyle. |
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| Geico Woodchuck Commercial - Really Funny Wood Chucks Chucking Wood silverchair48 |
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About
Uploaded on Nov 7, 2010 I got to admit this one is funny, "God dang woodchucks, quit chucking my wood" :) lol |
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Visitor Sightings |
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Report a sighting of this mammal. |
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| This button not working for you? Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com. Be sure to include a location. |
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| Luciearl 8/3/2023 |
Location: Lake Shore I've known a woodchuck lived on our hill for years. Never got a close up look until today. A couple of the dogs had cornered it under the steps. It was more like a chortling sound, not sounding like squirrel or chipmunk. After getting the dogs in the house, found the woodchuck in a pine near our porch. |
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| WOODCHUCK 5/30/2019 |
Location: ONAMIA, MINNESOTA I HAVE A MAMA WOODCHUCK UNDER MY SHED SHE HAD 8 BABIES...I JUST LOVE THEM, THEY ARE DOING EXCEPTIONALLY WELL...MY NEIGHBOR IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT BAITED AND TRAPPED THEM...THEY WERE NO BOTHER TO HIM...THEY ENDED UP AT THE DNR JUST A BLOCK AWAY...I WENT AND IDENTIFIED THEM..THEY KNOW ME WELL...I CALL THEM HEDGYZ AND THEY KNOW THEIR NAME...I WENT TO THE DNR AND CALLED FOR THEM...ONE CAME OUT OF HIDING...NOW TONGHT THE MAMA IS BACK...I AM SO HAPPY I HOPE SHE BRINGS THE BABIES BACK...WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS... |
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| Brooklyn Middle School 12/13/2018 |
Location: Shingle Creek on nonble |
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| Jennifer Shinners 11/28/2017 |
Location: Eden Prairie 2 in one of our little run off ponds in the backyard. |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings |
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