Groundhogs, also known as woodchucks, are large, common rodents often found excavating burrows in residential areas throughout North America. They belong to the marmot family and are known for their voracious appetites, which can lead them into suburban gardens. When a groundhog is spotted near canine waste, it raises the question of whether this burrowing mammal is attempting to consume it. This interaction is not part of its diet but rather a specific behavioral response to a foreign object.
The Groundhog’s Herbivorous Diet
Groundhogs maintain a diet that is almost entirely plant-based, classifying them as herbivores, or more precisely, folivores. Their natural foraging consists mainly of succulent vegetation, including various grasses, clover, alfalfa, and dandelions. These animals are opportunistic feeders, often consuming garden vegetables like peas, beans, and carrots, as well as fruits such as apples and berries when available.
They are known to eat up to a pound of vegetation daily, especially during the summer months when they are actively building up fat reserves. This high-volume, low-protein diet is specifically adapted to prepare them for their long period of hibernation, which lasts from late fall until early spring. The groundhog’s digestive system is designed to process and extract nutrients from fibrous plant matter, not animal protein or waste.
Investigating Canine Waste
The direct answer is that groundhogs do not consume dog feces for nutritional purposes. Their specialized herbivorous diet means that animal waste offers no caloric or biological benefit. Groundhogs are considered very clean animals that typically manage their own waste by depositing it in dedicated chambers deep within their burrow systems, rarely leaving scat on the surface.
If a groundhog is seen interacting with dog waste, the behavior is almost always investigative, territorial, or a search for trace elements. The animal may be sniffing or nudging the waste to identify the scent of a potential predator, such as a domestic dog, which is a significant threat. The presence of canine scat acts as a scent marker, signaling to the groundhog that a large, territorial mammal is active in the area.
The scat may also contain trace amounts of moisture or mineral salts that a groundhog might be curious about, especially in dry conditions. However, the odor of dog feces is generally thought to be a deterrent, which is why dog waste is sometimes recommended as a non-toxic method to encourage groundhogs to vacate burrows. The potential health risk for a groundhog that accidentally consumes canine scat includes ingesting parasites or bacteria.
Practical Methods for Groundhog Deterrence
Since groundhogs are highly motivated by accessible food sources, the primary non-lethal deterrent is environmental modification. Removing brush piles, tall weeds, and other forms of dense cover from the yard makes the area feel less secure for the groundhog. Collecting fallen fruit immediately also eliminates an easy, high-calorie food source that can attract them.
Physical barriers, particularly fencing, are highly effective because groundhogs are excellent diggers and climbers. A proper groundhog fence should be at least four feet tall and constructed with woven wire or heavy chicken wire. The fence must be buried at least 10 to 12 inches below the surface, with the bottom portion bent outward in an “L” shape to prevent tunneling underneath.
The groundhog’s sensitive sense of smell can also be used as a deterrent. Applying non-toxic substances that have strong odors, such as predator urine (coyote or fox) or ammonia-soaked rags near the burrow entrance, can encourage them to move on. Strong-smelling natural substances like garlic, cayenne pepper, or castor oil are also commonly used to repel groundhogs from targeted garden areas.