Mammal Web Page

http://www.Animal Diversity.com

Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Class	Mammalia
Order	Rodentia
Family	Sciuridae
Genus	Marmota
Species	monax

www.bugclinic.com/ woodchuck.htm

Description

Woodchucks are a common farm and garden pest. They are fairly big animals that are related to the squirrel. There legs are short but strong and made for digging. Male woodchucks are bigger than the female. Woodchucks color is usually a brown or gray. Their bushy tail is 1/4 the size of their total body length.

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Habitat

The woodchucks habitat includes farmland, grassy pastures, small woodlots, and bushy fence lines. Woodchucks especially love the edge of forests. They live in underground homes called burrows. Woodchucks normally burrow in loam soil.

www.discoverlife.org/.../ Marmota_monax_map.mx.jpg

Range

Woodchucks are found in eastern Alaska and across southern Canada. They are also distributed among the eastern United States and westward to the edge of the plains.

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Food

Woodchucks are herbivores, rarely eating insects, snails, and bird eggs. They are grazers, eating the vegetive part of plants. In spring woodchucks eat bark, buds, and twigs because most plants aren't fully developed.

http://www-ed.fnal.gov/entry_exhibits/woodchuck/woodchuck.html

Life Cycle

Woodchucks hibernate November- February and their mating season is in March. A females gestation period is 31-32 days long. Woodchucks are born blind and naked depending on their mother to nourish them. Young are weaned at a month and a half. They do not become sexually mature until their second spring. Woodchucks can live to be 6 years old in the wild and 10 years old in captivity.

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Survival

Woodchucks must rely on body fat to make it through the winter. To do this they have to be near a good food source. They also must live in a relatively cool area (Canada, New England, est.) Woodchuck also need a burrow or form of shelter so they can get away from predators and bad weather. Their needs are mainly centered around food and shelter.

www.varmintevictors.com/ critters.htm

Facts

Woodchucks can run at ten mile an hour lopping gallop. Their tail is 1/4 of there body length. When born they are only 4 1/4 inches long. Sometimes several individuals will share a burrow. Even though they have lots of fat on their body woodchucks can swim and climb trees. Woodchucks have been known to bark when fighting each other. Some of their burrows have 45ft of tunnels. Their burrows are always kept clean.

www.adamspestcontrol.com/ resources/woodchucks.htm

Human Impact

Woodchucks are a garden pest that we often set traps for. They are also the #1 sport hunting target. We cut down forests that supply homes for them and put smoke bombs into their burros to kill them. We have a very negative impact on them.