The Punxsutawney Phil declares an early spring on a yearly basis

The Female Groundhog Who Says “Winter Comes First”: Why Groundhogs and Woodchucks Are Important on Groundhog Day

Females in the region get out by Feb. 2, according to a professor from Penn State Berks.

The biology professor at the University of Southern Maine told NPR that “males emerge first” from the winter season.

The famous Punxsutawney Phil has been on the job since 1886. A number of females are also in the prediction game. Other groundhogs, and even other animals, are also consulted for a sign of when winter will be over.

“I suppose that if kept in captivity, it’s possible for a female to arouse from hibernation earlier than we’d expect in the wild,” Maher said when asked about female groundhogs being highlighted on Groundhog Day.

She has been studying the behavior of groundhogs, or woodchucks, for more than 25 years — but, Maher cautions, she is “not in tune with all the Groundhog Day celebrities.”

Since the 1993 film “Groundhog Day” made the day popular, the field has grown. One recent tally counted dozens of prognosticating animals in the U.S. and Canada.

The female animals that are named after them have been saying when winter will end for decades. Lady Edward of Essex County, New Jersey has been in the prediction game since just 2022, when she took over for the retired Essex Ed.

In Massachusetts, officials tout Ms. G’s accuracy rate of 64%, which bests Punxsutawney Phil. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the accuracy rate of the groundhog is 40% in recent years.

Woody has been predicting winter’s end date since 1999 and her handler says she has been right 70% of the time.

“In some parts of the country, i.e., the South, females could be out [in early February],” Maher said. “However, in the more northern parts of their range, it would just be males.”

Females are visited by males in burrows after they emerge from hibernation. “Woodchucks plug their burrows with leaves and other material when they enter hibernation. Thus, they need to dig out first. After females emerge, usually a couple weeks after males, the breeding season begins.

“You can call it a slumber party,” Zervanos told NPR. They are out at this time to reestablish bonds before they get used to each other.

“Some juveniles don’t leave home in their first summer, and some never leave home!” she said. “They will settle near their kin, which also live nearby, and continue to interact with those relatives throughout their lives.”

Gluid tidings on the Groundhog Day 2024: Punxsutawney Phil declares an early spring

Masses of people came to Punxsutawney, Pa., to see the small town’s famous groundhog perform his annua duty in person. More visited the website to see live video streamed from the event.

“Glad tidings on this Groundhog Day. The crowd of thousands at Gobbler’s Knob had been waiting for a long time and were thrilled to hear that an early spring was on the way.

Over the last 10 years, Phil has gotten it right on an average 30% of the time.

Could anything symbolize our era more than legions of people using smartphones to learn whether a prognosticating rodent is predicting six more weeks of winter?

“It’s the middle of winter, literally. Christine spoke with NPR and stated that they’re looking for something to keep them occupied during the time of year. Guessing about the weather is an example of how to keep engaged. Maybe we need a sign that spring is on the way.

The practice of seeking a sign of an early spring or a late winter stems from the Christian tradition of Candlemas — which itself has roots in older observances.

Source: Watch Groundhog Day 2024: Punxsutawney Phil declares an early spring

Why Groundhogs have No Joy in Milltown, N.J., but There Are No Social Animals In The Town Halls Of Milltown

Groundhogs — also called the woodchuck, land beaver, whistle pig, or red monk — were drafted into service for the day when Europeans realized the hibernating animal they associated with spring’s arrival in the old country, a type of badger, wasn’t native to North America.

Humans’ expansion into formerly wooded lands has likely helped groundhogs thrive, Maher said. Habitat that’s more suitable for woodchucks has been created by cutting down forests and creating more open areas with a food supply.

There’s no Groundhog Day joy in Milltown, N.J., again this year, where Milltown Mel died before he could make his prediction in 2022. The town’s efforts to replace him have run into legal snags.