Newswise — Apparently, America's most famous weather forecaster will have love, not weather, on his mind when he emerges from his hole on February 2, 2007. According to a study reported in National Wildlife magazine, Punxsutawney Phil is not looking for his shadow, he's speed dating!
The research tracked 32 groundhogs for more than four years and concluded that the real reason for the early February appearance is a version of the dating game, groundhog style.
Groundhogs " which are actually male woodchucks " awake after three months of hibernation to checkout the available pool of ladies within their territory. They select a female with whom to spend the night, and this sleepover acts as a first date, allowing the woodchucks time to get to know each other before the official start of mating season the following month. During these meet and greet sessions, contact is confined to rubbing noses, no going all the way.
After scoping out two or three females, the male groundhog returns to his burrow to sleep again until March, dreaming of the hotties he has just met. When he awakes and revisits each of the females, the earlier slumber parties allows the woodchucks to skip the small talk and get right down to breeding.
This type of courting ritual has not been found to occur in any other animal species.
Head researcher for the study, Stam Zeverano from Pennsylvania State University's Berks-Lehigh Valley College, thinks it may be connected to the small window of time during which offspring must be born for survival. A baby groundhog that enters the world too early may not be able to find enough food. One that arrives too late may not be able to build up enough fat layers for winter hibernation.
"There are many ways different wildlife species find mates and this report on groundhog 'dating' behavior demonstrates that finding the right match is very important to the survival of the species," says Dr. Doug Inkley, senior scientist for the National Wildlife Federation. "Why else would Phil drag himself out of a cozy warm den in the middle of winter?"
More Fun Groundhog Facts:"¢ How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? Based on the typical burrow a woodchuck digs, a scientist at Cornell University estimated the answer would be close to 700 pounds."¢ The name woodchuck comes from a Cree Indian word, wuchak, which was used for several different animals of similar size and color, including other marmots."¢ This very vocal animal carries the nickname "whistle-pig" for the various hisses, squeals, growls, barks and teeth chattering noises it emits."¢ The elaborate architecture of a woodchuck burrow with lengths of 20-30 feet, include spyholes, a toilet chamber, nest and nursery."¢ During hibernation, the body temperature of a woodchuck drops from 97°F (36°C) to less than 40°F (4°C). Its breathing slows to once every six minutes, and its heartbeat slows from 100 beats per minute to four."¢ Though "Phil" has been around for more than a century, the normal lifespan of a woodchuck is only five years."¢ Groundhog Day developed from the European tradition of Imbolc and Candlemas Day, marking the day between Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox. On that date, good weather meant more winter was on the way, bad weather meant the end of the cold season. This tradition was first linked to the appearance of the groundhog February 2, 1886, when Punxsutawney Spirit editor Clymer Freas reported the furry creature had not seen his shadow, thus an early spring was in the forecast. For a field guide to the woodchuck visit www.enature.com, one of the National Wildlife Federation's web sites.
National Wildlife Federation is America's conservation organization protecting wildlife for our children's future.
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