Last year, I was quite surprised to see our resident groundhogs waking up "early" at the end of February: https://pbase.com/britestar/image/173430987

I certainly didn't expect this year to see a groundhog awake in our backyard on Groundhog Day. That seems VERY early for a critter that not-long-ago went into hibernation in late November https://pbase.com/britestar/image/174204041 He has only spent under 2 1/2 months "asleep".

I think the groundhog in my above photo is "Lumpy" the marigold eating, problematic youngster from last Summer. I'm not 100% sure, but I'm pretty sure. Whoever it is, this woodchuck has woken up "long in the tooth" (because groundhog teeth continue to grow during hibernation); plus, with a bad case of "bed head".

I wonder what will happen now because there currently is absolutely nothing for a groundhog to eat in Nature here. I considered putting some carrots out. But then, I decided it best not to encourage Lumpy. If he makes it to when the grasses and wildflowers start to grow, he'll be okay. And I'll be back to having to protect my flowers from him. 🙄 Meanwhile, it's best to not interfere with Nature. We have a significant deer problem because the neighbors have done that.

Today, our area had all-time record setting high temperatures for February 2nd @ 67 degrees, with even higher tempt in the forecast a few days from now. This comes after a 2-week arctic blast with the actual tempts dropping notably below zero Fahrenheit. Several all-time records for cold were broken. Now, we're currently experiencing a 2-week warm trend with new record high tempts being broke. Is this Global Warming? If I'm confused about the weather swings, I just can imagine how it must be for an animal that relies on the weather for survival. Yesterday saw a whopping 78-degree swing from just the week before.

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Groundhog Hibernation and Climate Change

"As enchanting as groundhog hibernation might seem, it’s facing significant threats due to climate change. Warming temperatures are messing with the hibernation cycles of groundhogs, causing them to wake up earlier and potentially threatening their survival."

A Wake-Up Call Too Soon
With climate change causing warmer winters, groundhogs are often roused from their hibernation prematurely. This can lead to a mismatch between when they wake up and the availability of their food sources, potentially leading to starvation.

Playing a Role in Climate Change Research
Interestingly, studies on groundhog hibernation patterns are aiding scientists in understanding the effects of climate change on various species. This makes our furry friends not just weather predictors, but also climate change indicators!" squirrelsatthefeeder.com

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Groundhog Day 2024, "Punxsutawney Phil" in Gobbler's Knob, Pennsylvania didn't see his shadow & thus predicts there will be an early Spring. Meanwhile, it was a sunny day here with shadows everywhere to be seen. Unfortunately, "Missouri Lumpy" wasn't talking about what he saw. Maybe he wasn't looking for his shadow at all, but instead hoping to find love: https://www.npr.org/2023/02/02/1153728064/groundhog-day-2024-history-science-explained We'll know more as the weeks pass.