Groundhogs are giant mutant squirrels

A couple of days ago, Jeff peered out his home office window and saw the groundhog nibbling on our deck plants. I ran down with my camera and only got one photo, and had to take the photo through the window screen.

He looks smaller in the photo above than I remember. Or maybe there's more than one groundhog feasting on our outdoor natural salad bar.

Gnomedude has suggested a spray mixture of hot oil plants like chili peppers, but warns that I'd need to keep re-applying. Or we could go with structural deterrents like mesh fencing or screen.



Peter Alway pointed out the following:

Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mamalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Sciuridae
Genus: Tamiasciurus
Species: Hudsonicus
Common Name: Red Squirrel, Pine Squirrel, Chickaree

Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mamalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Sciuridae
Genus: Marmota
Species: Monax
Common Name: Woodchuck, Groundhog

Peter says that taxonomically, Marmota Monax is, indeed, a giant mutant squirrel. :-)



Phillip2637 writes: "I used to work near Sheppard Ave., just east of where it crosses the Don Valley Parkway. Sometimes at lunch I'd walk across the bridge to Fairview Mall, visit some stores -- often a fruit and vegetable place -- and then walk back to work. In nice weather there was often a pair of groundhogs, sitting together as if they were an old couple, on one of the cement supports at the edge of the DVP. I enjoyed watching them just taking in all the activity, so I'd throw pieces of apple down to them or whatever I had.

Then there was the day that I couldn't get home because they'd eaten the entire overpass...but, hey, they were cute.

:-)"






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