Baby Woodchucks
Baby Woodchuck
Wildlife Babies
It’s that time of year when all the wildlife is busy raising their babies. I live in the country so I get to observe them first handed. Birds, rabbits, woodchucks, and deer are plentiful here. Sometimes I may be lucky enough to get a good picture.
Just the other day as I walked out to my car, a baby woodchuck (ground hog) sat close by in the grass. He didn’t seem to be frightened at all and I was only a few feet from him. My yellow tomcat was at my feet rubbing my leg as he often does and not paying any mind to the little fellow. I happened to have my camera with me at the right time.
Every year we have these little woodchucks running up and down our driveway. Some of these are almost blonde in color which is rare for a woodchuck which is normally brownish-gray.
There is on occasion white (albino) and black woodchucks, but I have never seen one of either colored like that..
Woodchucks
Woodchucks live in burrows underground and stay there all winter. In these burrows they hibernate, mate in March or April and raise their 2-6 babies. It’s a sure sign of spring to see the first woodchuck come out of his home. The larger males usually come out first.
Woodchucks eat vegetables and grasses. They can be a pest to farmers and to people with vegetable gardens. They love beans, peas, and carrot tops. They eat alfalfa, clover, and grasses and often make their burrows in fields and nearby gardens. These holes in the ground can cause great damage to farm machinery and lawn mowers. So it is no wonder some people go to great lengths to discourage their present.
A woodchuck will live 3-4 years if not killed by hawks, owls, coyotes, fox, dogs or humans. We see many killed on the highway as they seek salt there.
Pest or not I enjoy watching these baby woodchucks. Guess that’s just the animal lover in me. They have a right to be here.