Groundhog - Marmota monax
This groundhog was so cute! I sat about 2 feet away from the opening of its burrow, and we stared at each other for about 10-15 minutes. It made chattering noises and would pop its head out, then get nervous and hide back inside. It was curious, but still a bit unsure of me.
Spotted beside a small stream in a state park. There were at least 2 other groundhogs in the area, and they had multiple burrow openings for their underground tunnels. In this shot, the groundhog was hiding right inside its burrow.
The groundhog, also known as a woodchuck, whistle-pig, or land-beaver in some areas, is a rodent of the family Sciuridae, belonging to the group of large ground squirrels known as marmots. Other marmots, such as the yellow-bellied and hoary marmots, live in rocky and mountainous areas, but the groundhog is a lowland creature.
