46 RODENTS OF IOWA 



now existing in the state and in point of size is exceeded only by 

 the porcupine and the beaver, neither of which now probably occurs 

 within our borders. Frank C. Pellett has a specimen taken at 

 Atlantic in 1916, and says that he has seen but one other in Cass 

 county during the last thirty years although he has heard of two 

 more specimens] that have been taken in that county. In North 

 American Fauna No. 37, 1915, a specimen of this form is recorded 

 from Wall Lake. At Emmetsburg a specimen was taken a few 

 years ago along the west branch of the Des Moines river. Along 

 the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad tracks between Fos- 

 toria and Milford the wanter found two burrows of this species. 

 The above data indicate that while the woodchuck is found occa- 

 fiionally in the western p^rt of the state its numbers there are much 

 less than in our eastern more wooded and rougher counties. 



The woodchuck, or ground hog as it is commonly called, is fre- 

 quently found in open prairie fields, where it digs burrows in the 

 ground. In hilly regions it often constructs its burrows in the side 

 of a ledge of earth or fill. The animal is seldom found in wooded 

 areas, but often digs its burrows along the edges of woods or groves. 

 The burrow^s vary considerably in length and form. The shorter 

 burrows are in most cases not more than ten feet in length, while 

 few of the longest are longer than fifty feet; usually they extend 

 parallel to the surface of the earth and four or five feet below it, 

 and each burrow ordinarily has at least two points of entrance. 

 The following sketch shows the plan of a woodchuck burrow 

 examined by Charles B. Cory at Lake Geneva, AVisconsin, and is 

 taken from his book, "The Mammals of Illinois and Wisconsin," 

 page 153.* Usually only a single pair of the animals inhabits a 

 burrow. The young are produced in the latter part of April, and 

 there are usually from four to six in a litter. They are very small 

 and blind when born and do not emerge from the burrow until 

 permanent warm weather occurs. 



Woodchucks do not store up food for winter use, for they hiber- 

 nate during the cold season. A popular superstition is abroad 

 to the effect that the woodchuck emerges from its burrow on the 

 second day of February and looks about. If he sees his shadow 

 cold weather, it is thought, will continue for a period of at least 

 sjx weeks and he will return into his burrow to continue his sleep 

 for that length of time; if, however, he fails to see his shadow, 



<Cory, Charles B., Pub. Field Mus. Nat. Hist. Zool. Series, Vol. XI, 1912. 



