72 



NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 66 



more County, Bures (1948, p. 67) found that they were not very 

 common, their range being limited to areas of cultivation and the region 

 between the deciduous woods and the marsh. Woodchucks abound in 

 Garrett County, particularly in the vicinity of Deep Creek Lake. 



This species is active both day and night and is frequently seen 

 in grassy shoulders and rocky outcroppings that border Maryland 

 highways. On many occasions it falls victim to modern high-speed 

 traffic and is one of the most frequently encountered road-kills in the 

 State. 



The woodchuck inhabits an extensive burrow which sometimes ex- 

 tends to a depth of 5 feet and may be some 30 feet in length. The burrow 

 usually has several entrances, which may be located beneath a wall or 

 tree stump. Within the burrow, there is usually one chamber in which 

 a bulky grass nest is situated. In this chamber the female gives birth 

 to four or five young in April or May after a gestation period of about 

 4 weeks. The babies remain in the den for about a month, after which 

 their eyes open, and they become completely independent of the mother 

 by early July. 



Principal food of the woodchuck consists of grasses and succulents 

 such as clover, alfalfa, plaintain, and various perennials, in addition 

 to beans, peas, corn, and apples ; seldom does the woodchuck consume 

 flesh, although it has been known to pursue poultry and eat insects and 

 snails. During the summer it becomes fat on these foods, and early 

 in the autumn when the first frost is on the ground it descends into 

 its burrow and goes into hibernation. It usually emerges again in 

 late February or early March. 



Specimens examined. — Baltimore Comity: Sparks, 1. Howard 

 County: Simpson ville, 1. Montgormry Comty: Plummmers Island, 

 4; Sandy Spring, 1. Prince Georges County: Laurel, 5; near Wash- 

 ington, D.C., 1. Washington County: Hagerstown, 1. District of 

 Columbia: 6. 



Other records and reports. — Allegany Comity : Mount Savage (Coll. 

 U. Md.). Baltimore Cownty: Bare Hills-Lake Koland area (Bures, 

 1948, p. 67) ; Lock Raven (Kolb, 1938) ; Patapsco State Park (Hampe, 

 1939, p. 6). Garrett County: Cranesville Pine Swamp (Mansueti, 1958, 

 p. 83). Kent County: Galena (Allen, 1950, p. 28). Prince Georges 

 County: Patuxent Research Center (Grizzell, 1949, p. 74). Washing- 

 ton County : Sharpsburg, 1 mile W (personal observation) . 



Remarks. — Allen (1950, p. 28) says that the Eastern Shore is one 

 of those regions that has been invaded by the woodchuck in the last 

 50 years. It first appeared on the Prettyman Farm near Galena in 

 Kent County around 1900. Evidently it is spreading southward around 

 the Chesapeake Bay from Pennsylvania. 



