What is the scientific name for the groundhog?

The scientific name for the groundhog is Marmota monax. It is a North American marmot and belongs to the squirrel family, Sciuridae.

Groundhogs are also called woodchucks or whistle-pigs. Despite the name, “woodchuck” has no connection to throwing or chucking wood; it developed from an Indigenous North American name for the animal. The species is the only marmot widely associated with lowland habitats rather than primarily mountainous terrain.

Carl Linnaeus originally described the animal in 1758 as Mus monax. Later classification placed it in the genus Marmota, producing the modern name Marmota monax. The other options are different marmot species: Marmota caligata is the hoary marmot, Marmota flaviventris is the yellow-bellied marmot, and Marmota marmota is the Alpine marmot.

Groundhogs dig extensive burrows, eat mostly vegetation, and hibernate through winter. Their biology explains why they became symbols of February weather folklore, even though their shadow-watching is not a scientific forecasting method.