# Groundhog (*Marmota monax*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/groundhog  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The groundhog (Marmota monax), also called the Woodchuck or Whistle-pig, is a rodent in the family Sciuridae, subfamily Xerinae and tribe Marmotini. It is a medium-sized, terrestrial and diurnal herbivore, with an adult body mass of 3.8 kg and reported values from 3.4 to 4.2 kg. Groundhogs have 1 litter per year after a gestation period of 32 days, with 4.5 young per litter, and reach sexual maturity at 1.5 years. Its lifespan is 11.3 years, with values up to 14 years, and the IUCN lists it as Least Concern, which is not a threatened category.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 3.41 kg – 4.17 kg |
| Length | Not recorded |
| Lifespan | 11.3 years – 14 years |
| Diet | Herbivore |
| Main food | Not recorded |
| Habitat | woodland |
| Gestation | 30 days – 32.4 days |
| Young per litter or clutch | 4 – 4.5 |
| Age at maturity | 17.9 months |
| Litters or clutches a year | 1 |
| Active | By day (diurnal) |
| Lifestyle | Terrestrial |
| Conservation status | Least Concern (IUCN) |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Mammalia
- order: Rodentia
- family: Sciuridae
- genus: Marmota
- species: *Marmota monax* (Linnaeus, 1758)

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is a groundhog?

The groundhog is a mammal, a rodent in the family Sciuridae and genus Marmota. It is also called the Woodchuck, Wood-shock or Whistle-pig.

### How heavy is a groundhog?

An adult Groundhog weighs 3.8 kg, with reported values from 3.4 to 4.2 kg, which places it in the medium size class.

### What does a groundhog eat?

The groundhog is a herbivore. It is a terrestrial, diurnal animal.

### Is the groundhog endangered?

No. The IUCN lists the groundhog as Least Concern (LC), which is not a threatened category.

### How long does a groundhog live?

The groundhog has a lifespan of 11.3 years, with values up to 14 years reported.

### How many young does a groundhog have?

A groundhog has 4.5 young per litter and 1 litter per year, after a gestation period of 32 days.

### When does a groundhog reach maturity?

A groundhog reaches sexual maturity at 1.5 years (545 days).

### Who named the groundhog?

The scientific name Marmota monax is credited to (Linnaeus, 1758).

## Sources

- [An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1), CC0 1.0, E096-269. Myhrvold, N.P., Baldridge, E., Chan, B., Sivam, D., Freeman, D.L. & Ernest, S.K.M. (2015) An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles. Ecology 96: 3109. https://doi.org/10.1890/15-0846R.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1
- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [EltonTraits 1.0: species-level foraging attributes of the world's birds and mammals](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3559887.v1), CC0 1.0, 1.0. Wilman, H., Belmaker, J., Simpson, J., de la Rosa, C., Rivadeneira, M.M. & Jetz, W. (2014) EltonTraits 1.0: Species-level foraging attributes of the world's birds and mammals. Ecology 95: 2027. https://doi.org/10.1890/13-1917.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3559887.v1
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Groundhog (Marmota monax). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/groundhog