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Woodchuck—Marmota monax - aka Groundhog
Woodchucks are rodents. They are herbivores who feed primarily on vegetables, trees, grasses and legumes; a single woodchuck can quickly destroy an entire garden. They also gnaw the bark of fruit trees and ornamental shrubs, sometimes killing them. The mounds of dirt from excavated burrows, and holes at the entrance of burrows, are unsightly and can be hazardous to humans. Woodchucks are also hosts for the woodchuck tick (Ixodes cookei), which can carry the Powassan virus.
Woodchucks grow 16-27 inches long, 4-14 pounds. They have short, powerful legs and a medium-long, bushy and somewhat flattened tail. The long, coarse fur on the back is a grizzled, grayish brown with a yellowish or reddish cast.
The feet are dark brown with heavy claws which they use for digging extensive burrows. Woodchucks are excellent climbers and may be seen in trees escaping predators or surveying their surroundings.
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Identification and Control Information
- Woodchucks—Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife
- Vermont Wildlife Fact Sheet: Woodchuck (PDF)—Vermont Fish & Wildlife
- Wildlife Damage Management Fact Sheet Series: Woodchucks (PDF)—Cornell Cooperative Extension
- Woodchucks in Rhode Island (PDF)—Rhode Island Fish & Wildlife
- Prevention and Control of Wildlife Damage: Woodchucks (PDF)—Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management
More Information
- Dealing with Nuisance Wildlife (PDF)—University of Maryland Cooperative Extension
[Photos. left to right: Clemson University; Gilles Gonthier]