#groundhog

Don Balke (American, b. 1933). Woodchuck, Maryland, 1984. Gouache and watercolor on board.

I'm pretty sure he knocked over my frogs and decapitated two of them. But that's okay, I got these cool photos.

My neighbor and his granddaughter have bonded over their sightings of the neighborhood groundhog. Ever since he told me that, I have been trying to figure out how to get a nice photo of this little guy as a thank you for always checking up on me. Something he could surprise her with.

Little did I know that my lure for birds would attract this rascal as well.

I had no idea groundhogs could climb.

Here are some close-up beauty shots of my new animal friend.

Groundhog Marmota monax

Also known as the woodchuck, it is a rodent belonging to the group of large ground squirrels known as marmots. It is found through much of the Eastern United States, across Canada and into Alaska.

The groundhog is an important contributor to the maintenance of healthy soil in woodlands and plains; as such, the species is considered a crucial habitat engineer. The groundhog is an extremely intelligent animal, forming complex social networks and kinship with its young; it is capable of understanding social behavior, communicating threats through whistling, and working cooperatively to accomplish tasks such as burrowing.

humble whistle pig, eater of apples