Groundhogs can easily climb trees to escape predators or survey their surroundings. They are also strong swimmers. However, groundhogs, also known as woodchucks, whistle-pigs and land-beavers, prefer to be underground.
Groundhogs live in eastern North America. They live alone in large underground dens, and each groundhog tends to occupy three to five dens. Groundhogs tend to place dens at the edge of meadows or fields with fence lines or small trees for cover. Groundhog numbers continue to grow as forests are transformed into farms. They are considered pests by farmers, eating crops and ruining fields with their burrows. Groundhogs live for two or three years in the wild and weigh about 10 pounds as adults.
