By ANNE WEINSTEIN
News-Gazette Staff Writer
It's Marmota Monax Monax Day, a red-letter day for winter-weary Illinois residents.
But the Illinois Department of Conservation warns that it's not wise to pin hopes for
winter's end on the possibility the lowly woodchuck, as groundhogs are called in this area,
will emerge from his digs on a shadowless day.
The furry mammals rarely venture out of their winter burrows until March, according to DOC
staff member Gary Thomas, because they prefer a cozy nest to February winds.
Even if an adventurous groundhog-woodchuck should sally forth, the long-standing legend that
winter will continue if he runs from his shadow breaks down in the face of scientific evidence.
"When a woodchuck ends his hibernation, he has one thing on his mind, and it isn't weather forecasting."
Thomas said. "He wants to find a mate as soon as possible, and a glimpse of his shadow, or any
other, isn't going to put a dent in his enthusiasm for that project."
Besides, Thomas continued, the little beast is so blind after spending months underground
that he can't see his paw in front of his face. |
The Groundhog Day tradition is an import, according to Thomas. He said German settlers in
Pennsylvania believed their European hedgehog could forecast winter's end. In their new country they
looked around for hedgehogs, but they had to settle for woodchucks, the closest local facsimile.
The tradition took hold in Ameirca, and descendants of the Pennsylvania Dutch settlers still
stage a media event each year in Punxsutawney, Pa.
They borrow a woodchuck from a nearby zoo and poke him in a hole, Thomas said. When he comes up,
cameras whirr and reporters scribble and another spring is either on the way, or it isn't.
The obliging groundhog, who's been dubbed "Punxsutawney Phil." has become a national celebrity.
The woodchuck-groundhog found in Illinois likes to live on the edge of forests, preferring rolling
land that is well drained. When he can't find hilly country, which is the case in this part of
East Central Illinois, he often digs burrows in railroad or highway embankments.
A large, squirrel-like rodent, the average woodchuck has a heavy body, short tail and powerful
legs. He weighs about seven pounds and is about 20 to 25 inches long. He is a vegetarian |
He loves the sunshine and spends his days dozing in it. When the days get chilly, he shovels up several
feet of dirt to seal the entrance to his burrow and settles down for a long winter's nap.
The woodchuck is a true hibernator, and a series of internal changes conserves his body fat. His
body temperature drops from 99 degrees to about 40 degrees; his heart beat slows from 80 beats per
minute to about five; and his respiration drops from about 12 to 16 breaths per minute to about
four.
According to legend, if the groundhog emerges from his burrow in sunshine and sees his shadow, it
scares him into hiding for the next six weeks. Then winter continues until he sticks his nose
out again. But if the day is cloudy, he emerges for good, and winter comes to an abrupt end.
Groundhogwash, says the Department of Conservation.
"If it's cold this Feb. 2, don't waste a lot of time looking for him." Thomas said. "You'll
probably be celebrating his holiday alone."
|