Groundhog

bubbalinn - Jul 17, 2008 01:55 PM EDT
Beautiful close view, and nice and clear. The reflection from the light in his eye is great. That is funny catching the flies on it's head..

whittler113 - Jul 15, 2008 08:22 AM EDT
What a nice sharp shot of the old groundhog Mary.He doesn't look too nervous .

shutterbug - Jul 15, 2008 03:52 AM EDT
In Maine we always check to see if Phil see his shadow then we know how long our winter is going to last. Phil is very famous. Great macro you got of this guy. Carol

lorraine - Jul 15, 2008 02:15 AM EDT
Thanks for that info, it's great, I have heard about this little guy in Pennsylvania, his names a bit of a mouthful, but I quite like the name Pothole Pete, thanks for that it is very informative.

marysham - Jul 14, 2008 07:41 PM EDT
Ann and Lorraine, thanks for looking in and leaving your comments. Lorraine, Groundhogs are also known as the woodchuck or whistlepig. It is a rodent of the family Sciuridae, belonging to the group of large ground squirrels known as marmots. The woodchuck is a lowland creature. It is widely distributed in North America and common in the northeastern and central United States. Groundhogs are found as far north as Alaska, with their habitat extending south to Idaho. We have a famous groundhog here in Pennsylvania called Punxsutawney Phil. On February 2, (Groundhog Day) of each year, the town of Punxsutawney celebrates the beloved groundhog with a festive atmosphere of music and food. During the ceremony, which begins well before the winter sunrise, Phil emerges from his temporary home on Gobbler's Knob, located in a rural area about 2 mi (3.2 km) east of town. According to the tradition, if Phil sees his shadow and returns to his hole, the United States will have six more weeks of winter. If Phil does not see his shadow, spring will arrive early. The date of Phil's prognostication is known as Groundhog Day in the United States and Canada. In the 1880s some friends in Punxsutawney, Penn., went into the woods on Candlemas Day to look for groundhogs. This outing became a tradition, and a local newspaper editor nicknamed the seekers "the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club." Starting in 1887 the search became an official event centered on a groundhog called Punxsutawney Phil. A ceremony still takes place every year. Today Punxsutawney Phil lives in a climate-controlled habitat adjoining the Punxsutawney Library. A local celebrity, he gained national fame in the 1993 movie Groundhog Day (which was shot in scenic Woodstock, Illinois). The weather-watching rodent's predictions are recorded in the Congressional Records of our National Archive. So far, Phil has seen his shadow about 85% of the time. Canada's Groundhog Day relies on the predictions of an albino groundhog named Wiarton Willie. Although Punxsutawney Phil gets the most attention, various American cities have their own special groundhogs; New York City's official groundhog is called "Pothole Pete." If you have read this far, thanks!

lorraine - Jul 14, 2008 04:36 PM EDT
Neat shot of this little animal, Ive heard of them but what are they?

A.Lovely - Jul 14, 2008 09:56 AM EDT
Well done Mary! Wow, right over that groundhog! Great clarity and textures. You even got the sparkle in it's eye and every hair on it's head. (smiling) Mary you are a brave woman.