By Paula Musto
Most of us know the folklore surrounding Punxsutawney Phil, the legendary groundhog famous for his weather forecasting skills each February 2. If it’s a sunny day and the critter sees its shadow, six weeks of cold winter weather lie ahead, while a cloudy, shadowless day indicates an early spring.
So goes a lovable though unscientific tale. But there’s much more to know about groundhogs, a species that belongs to the rodent family, often found in open fields or along the edge of woodlands in our mountain region.
Punxsutawney Phil. Photo courtesy of Punxsutawney Groundhog Club
“Groundhog Day elevates a lowly rodent to celebrity status for 24 hours, but after the big day the animal is forgotten,” says Carlton Burke, a licensed wildlife rehabilitator who operates Carolina Mountain Naturalists. “I wish people would appreciate groundhogs more—they are some of the most interesting and highly intelligent critters we have in the mountains.”
Burke currently has three groundhogs who were orphaned and/or injured and, no longer able to live in the wild, reside with him in Mills River. The stocky, furry creatures periodically serve as ambassador animals for wildlife education programs. Spending time with the species has enabled Burke to observe their intelligence and highly evolved problem-solving skills that include a Houdini-like ability to unlock latches on cage doors.
Groundhogs are also known as woodchucks and, in some parts, whistle-pigs because of the high-pitched whistling sound they make when startled. They are closely related to the gray squirrel, but, unlike squirrels, groundhogs are not great climbers. Instead, they are expert diggers who live in intricately carved underground burrows. With more than one entrance and exit, the burrows have different chambers for various purposes including a bathroom used specifically for eliminating wastes. Like many animals, groundhogs are solitary creatures who do not stray far from their burrows except during springtime mating season when males search out female companions.
Groundhogs are one of the few mammals that are true hibernators. In late fall they enter into a deep sleep and remain in hibernation for three months or more. While hibernating, their temperature drops drastically and their heartbeat and breathing slows to a fraction of their metabolic rate when awake. Groundhogs are vegetarians who dine on grass, vegetables and fruit. To prepare for the long wintertime snooze, they eat heartily for months beforehand, but still lose more than a quarter of their body weight before emerging from their underground dens in late February or March.
Perhaps it’s this cyclical lifestyle that gave rise to the Punxsutawney Phil legend that dates back more than a century. It’s believed a newspaper in Punxsutawney first published a report in 1886 that local groundhogs had not seen their shadow on February 2, the date designated as mid-winter. The groundhogs promptly returned to their holes—signaling an early spring. So began the tradition.
But Groundhog Day has ties even more ancient, according to Tom Dunkel, president of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club’s Inner Circle, whose 15 members are dedicated to caring for the renowned prognosticator. Groundhog Day, he says, is associated with Candlemas Day when early Christians in Europe blessed and distributed candles on February 2 to mark a wintertime milestone. The weather that day was important for the farming communities and, thus, the evolution of modern Groundhog Day, now enthusiastically celebrated in Punxsutawney, a picturesque town 80 miles northeast of Pittsburgh, home to 6,000 people and a world-famous groundhog.
Thousands gather annually for a weeklong celebration. The 1993 movie Groundhog Day provided the celebration with a huge boost. Now, in addition to the eagerly awaited announcement, festivities include the Groundhog Ball, a Groundhog Banquet and lunch with Phil.
“If you have time to visit Punxsutawney, please do,” Dunkel says. “It’s magical. Phil is like the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus. There’s only one.”
Although, that’s the rub. According to Dunkel, whose father was the groundhog handler for years, there’s only one immortal Phil. But since groundhogs only have a maximum lifespan of just six years in the wild, and a dozen years in captivity, you might say this is impossible considering the forecasting event goes back more than a hundred years. But Dunkel assures us that Phil, who drinks a magic elixir of life to ensure his longevity, is not only the one and only but his predictions are 100-percent accurate.
This Pennsylvania weather forecaster extraordinaire does have competition. Each February 2, a groundhog in Washington D.C. called Potomac Pete performs a similar feat. But this Pete not only predicts the end of winter but also forecasts the year’s political climate. Lately, he’s been predicting partisan gridlock. Closer to home, in Brevard, squirrels get into the act. For years, a white squirrel named Pisgah Pete offered Groundhog Day predictions and then came his heir, Pisgah Penny. The seer post is currently vacant, but the town’s White Squirrel Institute is earnestly vetting future prognosticators.
Dunkel blithely dismisses the competition. “All imposters,” he says. “Just trying to capitalize on our groundhog good fortune.”
To learn more about Punxsutawney Phil and how to celebrate Groundhog Day, visit Groundhog.org.
Paula Musto is a writer and volunteer for Appalachian Wildlife Refuge which cares for injured and orphaned wildlife. If you find an animal that may need help, call the hotline at 828.633.6364. To learn more, visit AppalachianWild.org.
