All About Woodchucks

Have you ever wondered who or what was responsible for the underground labyrinth of tunnels you usually see close to or right under your structures?

Or have you wondered who eats the vegetables or flowers in your garden during the summer, especially in suburban areas in the northeastern parts of the United States? You may be looking at a case of having woodchucks on your property. They are often the unwelcome guests on your property that look cautious and shy, never aggressive.

In fact, because they don’t transmit any significant disease, you may be tempted to dismiss their activities. However, you will only notice the true extent of damage caused by these woodchucks (or groundhogs as called in some regions), by the time you see the tunnels they have dug, or notice the destruction of your garden and crops.

You should have an intimate knowledge of woodchucks and how to deal with them if you intend to know how to contain them or trap and remove them from your property; firstly, because they pose a threat to your building structures, especially the wooden ones. Also because it is not a rare sight to find some woodchucks lying under your porch, shed, or just any deck around, so you are almost expecting them.

What exactly are these woodchucks? How harmful are they? All this and more you will find out below, we’ve answered your woodchuck questions!

Appearance: What do woodchucks look like?

Woodchucks are rodents. They look just like giant ground squirrels. They are one of the largest members of the squirrel family, and the size of an adult woodchuck will range between 40 cm and 65 cm. Recent research has found some of these woodchucks to grow up to 80 cm in length. They commonly appear in colors such as white, grey, or brown. The woodchuck is a very swift animal; its features are suited for that exact purpose. First of all, they are quite light, weighing around two to four kilograms, can you imagine that?! They have short and powerful limbs with thick sharp claws, which they use in burrowing into wood and similar structures. The thick layer of fur that covers them keeps them warm, especially during their period of hibernation in the winter.

Diet: What do woodchucks eat?

Woodchucks are primarily herbivores; they feed on grass and vegetables. However, sometimes a few of them prey on small insects, grasshoppers, and snails. The interesting part of their diet is the fact that they don’t drink water, they stay hydrated from the water they consume in the leaves of the plants or just leafy plants in general.

Habitat: Where do woodchucks live?

Woodchucks can be found almost anywhere in burrows. Otherwise known as tunnels, these burrows are used for so many things from sleeping to rearing their young ones, they are even the location they use during their periods of hibernation.

A typical burrow is very large, almost 14 meters in length, and about 1.5 meters deep and will have two to five entry or exit points with more than one woodchuck living in it at a time! Interestingly, these burrows can be found anywhere and so they pose a significant threat to buildings.

Behaviour: How do woodchucks behave?

At the time of birth, the woodchuck is blind and hairless and requires great care from the mother, so it remains with its mother until it becomes strong enough to go on its own.

By the time the young woodchuck is about five to six weeks, it begins to make its burrows. This burrow is where you will find them during the winter – their period of hibernation.

They usually breed from early March to late April after they come out of hibernation. Males and females stay together for up to 30 days and just before the birth of the young ones. A female woodchuck typically gives birth to two to six babies at a particular time. In the wild, these woodchucks live for about two to three years, with the oldest ones living up to six years.

However, in captivity, they can live up to fourteen years. In recent times, we have seen that woodchucks can be carriers of diseases like rabies and hepatitis, so you should take care when dealing with them. To that end, there are a lot of ways to evict woodchucks and keep them out of your property!

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