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.

An Alpine marmot (Marmota marmota) in Europe

Mammoth-sized marmot spotted in Kamloops park, BC, Canada

Yellow-bellied Marmot (Marmota flaviventer), family Sciuridae Kamloops resident Taylor Borth was exploring a park in Kamloops with her camera over the weekend and came upon the fattest marmot she has ever seen.  “When I rounded the corner and spotted him, I audibly gasped, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing,” she said. “He just stared back at me like…what? And then turned around to flop down on the ground. He didn’t even run away as I walked by him although I don’t think he had the ability to.” The obese marmot lives at McArthur Island Park on the north side of the city where there is a large marmot population and residents are known to feed them, despite a bylaw against it. Borth concluded the marmot is a male as the males are far bigger than the females, while some commenters on her social media post that has blown up suggested the marmot could be pregnant...

GIANT Groundhog in my yard….found out who’s been eating all my sunflowers 🌻 (Marmota monax)

Yellow-bellied marmot (Marmota flaviventris)

Gaylor Lakes, Yosemite National Park, CA, USA