Recently, I have been trying to learn the taxonomic names for wildflowers. As one thing leads to another, I became curious about our yearly visit from Punxsutawney Phil. Groundhogs belong to the squirrel family – Sciuridae – and to the genus Marmota. There are more than a dozen species of marmots, but Phil belongs to that group known as Marmota monax. They are known; however, by several names, including woodchuck, whistle pig, and just plain marmot. They hibernate during winter where their heartbeat can drop from 80 beats per minute, to only 5! Their body temperature drops as well, and they can lose up to 30% of their body fat over the winter months. They usually emerge from hibernation around the beginning of March when they can be heard whistling for a mate. The Black-tailed Prairie Dog, Cynomys ludovicianus, which also belongs to the family of squirrels, is not looked upon nearly so admiringly as the groundhog. They have been the subject of many heated controversies between city planners and those who argue in defense of the tiny rodents. In the territorial disputes between humans and prairie dogs, it appears that humans are winning. Groundhogs are loners for the most part; while prairie dogs create underground “towns” sprawling for miles beneath the prairie grasses. Instead of whistling, prairie dogs emit a tiny bark similar to a dog. Despite the fact that prairie dogs serve an important role in the ecosystem, by keeping the soil aerated and providing food for foxes, coyotes, hawks, and other predators, there are simply not enough human allies to aid them.
The tradition of Groundhogs Day began in Germany in 1887, evolving from the Christian celebration of Candlemas. The European hedgehog was used to predict the length of winter, rather than candles. When German immigrants came to America, they decided to substitute our native groundhog for their yearly ritual, in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. It has always seemed rather silly to me because this day falls at the midway point between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox; so we are only halfway through winter, whether Phil sees his shadow, or not. I wonder if humans will ever outgrow their perpetual need for fantasy? Punxsutawney Phil is no more real than Rudolph or the Easter Bunny; but we persist in these juvenile stories. I am all for celebrations; but shouldn’t we be celebrating real life cycles and real animals? The celebration of life itself should be a daily ritual. Let’s honor the animals of the world – even the rodents – not as legends, but as our relatives.
