Groundhogs, also known as woodchucks, are rodents belonging to the group of large ground squirrels known as marmots. Who knew groundhogs and woodchucks were the same species? Not the hosts before this episode! Despite their continued use in predicting the weather every mid-winter, groundhogs and their behaviors have not been well-studied by researchers. 

In The Good, The Bad, The News

Fake snow for the Olympics, how bad is it really? 

Once gone from Florida, American Flamingo is being sighted again in Florida's rich wetlands. 

Biologist Tim Wong Dingle-Handedly Repopulates Rare Butterfly Species In His Own Backyard.

What do we actually know about groundhogs? They are excellent burrowers, using their burrows for sleeping, rearing young, and hibernating. If you see one, its burrow is almost certainly nearby. We know human development near second-growth forests caused a boom in groundhog populations by creating ideal habitats. On the other hand, though, intensive agricultural areas and dairy farms decimated their populations in other areas. But chances are if you live in the Northeast United States or Canada, you've definitely seen one, probably on the side of the road.  We also know no one can agree on whether or not they're a pest. 

Listen now to find out more about this fascinating creature that somehow became a cultural icon of an old winter tradition. 

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