We all know what Punxsutawney Phil will be doing on February 2nd, but how about Staten Island Chuck, Sir Walter Wally, or Buckeye Chuck? No, these are not NCAA mascots, they’re groundhogs! Prognosticating groundhogs to be exact. While you may think that only Phil can tell you whether there will be six more weeks of winter, these professionals and others around the country also take on the job every February 2nd, and are ready to make their predictions this Groundhog Day.
Staten Island Chuck, formally known as Charles G. Hogg, is a resident of the Staten Island Zoo, and will be making his prediction on the return of spring with NYC Mayor Bloomberg. Sir Walter Wally, who is regularly featured on the Weather Channel, makes his future weather determinations at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, along with his “Groundhog Whisperer,” (aka translator) Mayor McFarlane. There’s Chuckles the Groundhog of Connecticut, who spends his days at the Lutz Children’s Museum and is also gearing up for his big day. Ohio gets its weather predication from Buckeye Chuck, and Georgia’s General Beauregard Lee gives the Southeast his forecast from his home in Atlanta. And don’t forget about Woodstock Willie of Woodstock, Illinois, where the movie “Groundhog Day” was actually filmed!
Who says only groundhogs can predict an early spring? Balzac Billy, the “Prairie Prognosticator” of Balzac, near Calgary, will be making his annual prediction this year. Billy, though, is not a groundhog at all, but a gopher! Then there’s Michigan’s Tutor the Llama, who inherited his job of forecasting from another llama, Zac, who received the job from his best friend Noah, the official prognosticating groundhog of Oxford, Michigan. After Noah passed, Zac took over the job, and then passed it on to his friend Tutor – a little nepotism, perhaps?
There are several other groundhogs around the country just waiting for their moment in the spotlight on February 2nd. So, whether you take the word of a groundhog, a gopher, a llama, or some other weather-predicting animal, here’s hoping that all of them predict an early spring!
History of Groundhog Day:
Back in the 1700's European settlers game to America and brought with them the tradition of Candlemas Day. Candlemas Day came half way between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. Tradition says that if it was nice on that day, the second half of Winter would be stormy and cold.
It was the Hedgehog that was watched closely with hope that he'd not see his shadow. In America, there were no hedgehogs. So they adopted the groundhog as the new world's weather forecaster.
They chose the ground hog as it wintered underground like the hedgehog and because the Native Americans in the region respected the animal claiming that the groundhog was a wise and sensible animal.
Ground hog's Day is an American holiday, it has European roots. Here is an old English saying:
If Candlemas be fair and bright,
Winter has another flight.
If Candlemas brings clouds and rain,
Winter will not come again.
Groundhog Fun Facts:
- The average groundhog is 20 inches long and normally weighs from 12 to 15 pounds. Punxsutawney Phil weighs about 20 pounds and is 22 inches long.
- Groundhogs are covered with coarse grayish hairs (fur) tipped with brown or sometimes dull red. They have short ears, a short tail, short legs, and are surprisingly quick. Their jaws are exceptionally strong.
- A groundhog's diet consists of lots of greens, fruits, and vegetables and very little water. Most of their liquids come from dewy leaves.
- A groundhog can whistle when it is alarmed. Groundhogs also whistle in the spring when they begin courting.
- Insects do not bother groundhogs and germs pretty much leave them alone. They are resistant to the plagues that periodically wipe out large numbers of wild animals. One reason for this is their cleanliness.
- Groundhogs are one of the few animals that really hibernate. Hibernation is actually a deep coma, where the body temperature drops to a few degrees above freezing, the heart barely beats, the blood scarcely flows, and breathing nearly stops.
- Young groundhogs are usually born in mid-April or May, and by July they are able to go out on their own. The size of the litter is four to nine. A baby groundhog is called a kit or a cub.
- A groundhog's life span is normally six to eight years. Phil receives a drink of a magical punch every summer during the annual Groundhog Picnic, which gives him seven more years of life.
