Woodchuck – LIFE IN THE LOWER SUSQUEHANNA RIVER WATERSHED

June 4, 2025June 4, 2025

Soakin’ Up the Smoky Sun

With temperatures finally climbing to seasonable levels and with stormy sun filtering through the yellow-brown smoke coming our way courtesy of wildfires in Alberta and other parts of central Canada, we ventured out to see what might be basking in our local star’s refracted rays…

Black Saddlebags — Dragonflies including this Black Saddlebags are now actively patrolling the edges of waterways and wetlands for prey and mates.

Common Green Darners — Here we see a pair of Common Green Darners flying in tandem…

Common Green Darners — …and, having already mated, stopping at a suitable location for the female to oviposit the fertilized eggs onto submerged plant stems.

Painted Turtles — A sunny day almost always brings out the reptiles, including these Painted Turtles…

Red-eared Slider — and the invasive Red-eared Slider, a native transplant from the American midwest.

Snapping Turtle — A really big Snapping Turtle will prey on almost anything, including other Snapping Turtles…

Golden Shiners — …but this one seems to be fascinated by something a lot smaller. Something like these juvenile Golden Shiners seen here schooling in the sun-drenched shallows.

Northern Water Snakes — Turtles aren’t the only reptiles thriving in the heat. Northern Water Snakes (Nerodia sipedon sipedon) take full advantage of a sun-drenched rock to warm up after spending time in the chilly water of a stream.

Northern Water Snakes — You know, no one loves a snake like another snake…

Northern Water Snakes — …and when it comes to these two snakes, it looks like love is in the air!

Spicebush Swallowtail — Butterflies like this Spicebush Swallowtail enjoy time in the sun, even while seeking out minerals in a patch of moist soil.

Woodchucks — After its siblings darted into the familial burrow upon our approach, this juvenile Woodchuck instead sought the attention of its nurturing mother. Unlike its brothers and sisters, perhaps this little groundhog isn’t afraid of its own shadow. Or does the smoky haze have the youngster all confused about what does and doesn’t constitute as a shadow? Well, we can’t help you there, but you have a whole eight months to figure it out!

February 10, 2025February 11, 2025

Groundhog Stew

Our procrastinating groundhog

Susquehanna Stew

Is out to have a look around

Eight days overdue

Nibbling on some morsels

Basking in the sun

Almost three months since his last meal

Gee, that must be fun

But eating dried-up grasses

Might not do the trick

He might start feeling woozy

Or even getting sick

All this nonstop grazing

Stew’s just like a cow

He needs to find a way to stop

And end this binge right now

So when he saw his shadow

He knew just what to do

Time to head down under

‘Til wintertime is through

This crazy superstition

Sure did take its toll

The situation’s urgent

He’s headed for his hole

But Stew’s no fan of digging

Or all that woodchuck hype

This marmot has no burrow

His home’s a broken pipe

So if you want to see him

In springtime when it rains

Keep an eye on the clover field

Outside the flooding drains

Always a great time Stew. See you in the spring. And remember, it’s never a good idea to be late for dinner, so stay away from the carrots, celery, potatoes, and onions—someone may get the wrong idea!

June 23, 2024June 23, 2024

It’s Been a Stinkin’ Hot Week

Turkey Vulture and Road-killed Woodchuck — …but the stench would have been a lot worse without our friendly neighborhood scavengers around to clean up our mess. Turkey Vultures thrive in scorching temperatures, riding thermal updrafts to patrol the countryside for roadkill victims like this unfortunate Woodchuck.

February 2, 2023

Photo of the Day

American Robin — We don’t have a resident groundhog at susquehannawildlife.net headquarters, but the arrival of an American Robin to begin cleaning the abundance of berries from our holly trees and shrubs gives us the idea that spring is just around the corner. We could hardly be happier.

October 12, 2021October 12, 2021

Photo of the Day

The Woodchuck (Marmota monax), also known as the groundhog, gets no respect. Shouldn’t it be the official state mammal of Pennsylvania? After all, a nationally recognized holiday centers on the prognostications of the state’s favorite son, “Punxsutawney Phil”. And think of all those state lottery tickets sold by that media groundhog, “Gus”. Yep, only Pennsylvania would have an animal often named for a different state as its official mammal: the Virginia White-tailed Deity.