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Groundhog Day

© Mary M. Alward

February 2nd is officially Groundhog Day in Canada and the United States. It's said that if the groundhog sees his shadow, he will go back into his burrow and stay for six weeks. That means there will be six more weeks of winter. If the day is cloudy and he doesn't see his shadow, spring has arrived early.

Punxsutawney Phil is the official groundhog of the United States. Wiarton Willie is the official groundhog in Canada. Besides these, many states have their own official groundhog that makes the prediction.

Georgia's official groundhog is General Lee "Beau." Vermont has "Peewee the Woodchuck." In Delaware, two groundhogs, "Duke" and "Duchess," live in Lums Pond State Park. Every year on February 2nd, they predict whether or not spring has arrived.

"Buckeye Chuck," is Ohio's official groundhog. "Birmingham Bill" hails from the Birmingham Zoo, in Birmingham, Alabama. Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, depends on "Jimmy the Groundhog" for predictions of spring.

Some of these places have a full calendar of festivities for Groundhog's Day. Bill Murray even made a funny movie about it. This made Groundhog's Day even more popular.

No matter what people say about groundhogs predicting spring, we all know that it officially arrives on March 20th of each year - exactly six weeks after Groundhog's Day.

Here are some fast facts about groundhogs.

Did You Know:

• That groundhogs are a member of the squirrel family and that they are rodents?

• That they live in burrows in farm pastures, forests, woods, fields and ditches?

• That during the hot days of summer, groundhogs eat very early in the morning and at dusk when it is cooler?

• That groundhogs hibernate? They enter their burrows in October and don't come out again until February.

• That their burrows run 15 to 25 feet horizontally 2 to 4 feet under the ground's surface?

• That groundhogs are vegetarians? They only eat grasses, leaves and fruit.

• That groundhogs can eat 1 1/2 pounds of vegetation every day?

• That a groundhog can weigh anywhere from 4 to 14 pounds?

• That groundhog cubs can take care of themselves when they are six weeks old? At that time, they are fully covered in fur and their eyes are open.

• That groundhogs improve the soil when they dig their burrows? This allows more air and water underground, which breaks the soil down into topsoil.

• That abandoned groundhog burrows become homes for other animals such as skunks and fox?

• That groundhogs can climb trees if they are threatened by their enemies? They do prefer to stay on the ground and only climb in an emergency.

The copyright of the article Groundhog Day in Science for Kids is owned by Mary M. Alward. Permission to republish Groundhog Day in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.