groundhog: Quick Facts

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The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

Sep. 28, 2026

Facts

Also Known As	woodchuck • Marmota monax

Photos and Videos

Illustration of a groundhog, also known as a woodchuck or marmot (Marmota monax), showing its stocky, furry body, short legs, small ears, and bushy tail, with a scale bar indicating size.

A groundhog with brown fur emerges from a den surrounded by snow and branches.

Illustrated chart showing the footprints of eight animals-opossum, skunk, raccoon, red fox, woodchuck, cottontail rabbit, gray squirrel, and muskrat-each with labeled front and hind foot tracks next to a drawing of the animal.

parallel evolution of marsupial and placental mammals

A man in a top hat holds a groundhog up into the air.

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