Groundhog (Marmota monax)
It is about to turn into a very chilly weekend for us in the Chautauqua-Allegheny region after a week of warm temperatures and a lot of sun. This Groundhog (Marmota monax), or whatever else you prefer to call the rodent among its many names, has to be in a hurry to eat all it can now. The species is always highlighted when they come out of hibernation to “predict” the end of the winter and early spring seasons. However, if you watch them in autumn you will see a lot of activity out of the increasingly fatter individuals as they prepare to hibernate. A good “night” to...
Read MoreGroundhog (Marmota monax) by Scott Kruitbosch
Tomorrow is Groundhog (Marmota monax) Day! We all know the basics – if the groundhog sees his shadow that means we have six more weeks of winter and if he does not we will have an early spring. While bearing in mind these rodents don’t have meteorological degrees and cannot move the sun to change our seasons it seems that the basic historical notion is rooted in weather observation. If the sun is shining we are likely under high pressure continuing cold or average temperatures and dry conditions, like much of what we had recently. Clouds obscuring the sun entirely are often due...
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