Day of the Whistle Pig

  • They can climb trees. They aren’t the best at climbing and sometimes lose their grip, but they can climb.
  • They don’t chuck wood. So, we will never know how much a woodchuck can chuck. The English interpretation of the Algonquin word “wucack,” which means digger and is the likely origin of the woodchuck name.
  • Their underfur is jet black and some melanistic or all black individuals have been documented.
  • Groundhogs are chunky and low to the ground, so they can’t run very fast. In fact, their top speed is around 8 mph. So, their burrows are very important for their survival. Because of this, trapping and relocating groundhogs (if legal in your area) isn’t very humane. Placing them in a new area without their protective burrows and in another groundhog’s territory can be problematic.
  • Their common name ‘whistlepig’ is from the whistle noise they make to alert other groundhogs. If you haven’t heard the whistle, check out the video below.