A large North American rodent that hibernates in winter and emerges in early spring, also known as a woodchuck. It's famous for the folkloric tradition of Groundhog Day on February 2nd.
From English 'ground' + 'hog', dating to the 1780s. The name reflects the animal's habit of living in ground burrows and its stocky, pig-like appearance. It's an Americanism that replaced the earlier 'woodchuck' in popular usage.
Despite the famous saying 'how much wood would a woodchuck chuck,' groundhogs are actually excellent diggers who can move up to 700 pounds of earth when excavating their burrows! Their hibernation is so deep that their heart rate drops from 100 beats per minute to just 4.
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