Page 2 - Kind News magazine, January February 2021, Parent Guide

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Critter Clues FROM PAGE 7

Our mystery critter is the groundhog. Although
they are best known for the superstition that they can
predict the coming of springtime, these furry creatures
are unique for many other reasons!
Groundhogs can be found all over North America.
They are omnivores but eat mainly vegetables. Aside
from raising their babies, groundhogs are mostly
solitary creatures. Despite this, groundhogs do
communicate to warn each other of danger. They
front page, from top: mikhalitskaia/bigstock; redrover, raja: bryan huff. this page: amy moore/pixabay.
emit a high-pitched, shrill sound to do so, earning
them the nickname “whistle-pig!”
Groundhogs are “true” hibernators. They rely on
body fat to make it through the winter! A groundhog’s
heartbeat and body temperature drop dramatically
during hibernation. If the weather is colder, they will wait
longer to emerge in the spring. It’s possible that this
contributed to the tradition of celebrating Groundhog Day,
but it can also be traced back to German settlers who believed
that animals like groundhogs or badgers could predict the weather,
and other European settlers who thought that if the sun was shining on
February 2, there would be six more weeks of winter.
Although they spend most of their time alone, groundhogs still build extensive burrows for their families. Their
burrows can be over 60 feet long and have many different chambers and entrances. Groundhogs are not considered
a threatened species, but farmers and gardeners often see them as pests because they eat crops. Farmers also worry
about the impact of groundhog burrows on farms: machines can break when they run over the mounds, and horses can
trip over them. There are many humane ways of resolving conflicts with groundhogs, however, such as building high
fences. For more information, visit humanesociety.org/resources/what-do-about-woodchucks.

RedRover.org/Readers

Did you know that RedRover offers virtual readings of animal-themed stories
for classrooms? Through a story, discussion, and extension activity, students learn
about empathy, friendship, and kindness to animals and people. The virtual readings
are 45 minutes to an hour long and are aligned with social and emotional learning
standards. Learn more at RedRover.org/virtualreadings.

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editor, nicole forsyth; design consultant, sass studios; education advisors and edition of kind news is published five times a year, september through may. a classroom subscription,
contributors: heidi colonna, caty franco, keleigh friedrich, minhhan lam, tara lenehan, subsidized by charitable donations, is available at $30 per year and each issue includes 28 copies of
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