The woodchuck is also known as the groundhog, whistlepig, groundpig and Canada marmot. I believe I've seen at least one before, while driving in West Virginia, and of course I've seen Punxsutawney Phil on television, the inspiration for the movie Groundhog Day. But recently, on the lawn of the Parliament of Canada in Ottawa, I sat and watched two woodchucks for several minutes and got some photos.
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| Woodchuck on grass in front of Parliament in Ottawa, Canada. |
The woodchuck is related to the marmot, an animal I've seen many times in the western U.S. However, their ranges don't overlap, or if they do, not by much. The woodchuck is found in the Eastern U.S. and through most of the southern Canadian provinces.
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| Range of the woodchuck. From Wikipedia. |
The woodchucks I saw were smaller than the marmots I've seen, and smaller than the one woodchuck I recall seeing and the ones I've seen on television.
I prefer seeing animals in their natural environment, not on a manicured lawn inside a fence with iron bars. But I take them where I find them.
It was super fun to see these munching their way around the Parliament lawn, more or less oblivious to their audience. It was a great blend of nature and politics!
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