Groundhogs, also known as woodchucks, are common North American rodents well-adapted to various environments, from woodlands to suburban areas. They are primarily herbivores. Their feeding habits are closely tied to their survival, particularly in preparing for their long hibernation period.
The Groundhog’s Herbivorous Diet
Groundhogs largely consume vegetation. They are generalist foragers, eating a wide variety of plants available in their surroundings. This opportunistic feeding strategy allows them to thrive in diverse habitats. Groundhogs exhibit a significant appetite, capable of consuming up to a pound or more of vegetation in a single feeding. This substantial intake is especially noticeable as they prepare for hibernation.
Specific Plant Preferences
Groundhogs consume numerous plant types, including various grasses like clover, alfalfa, timothy, crabgrass, and bluegrass. Wild herbaceous plants such as dandelions, plantain, sorrel, chickweed, and asters are also frequently part of their diet. Their foraging extends to agricultural crops like corn, soybeans, peas, and beans, and garden vegetables such as lettuce, carrots, and broccoli.
When available, fruits and berries are a favored food source for groundhogs, including wild berries like raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries, along with apples, pears, cherries, and melons. While plant material forms the bulk of their diet, groundhogs may gnaw on the bark and twigs of young trees, particularly when other food sources are scarce or to manage their continuously growing incisor teeth.
Seasonal Shifts in Eating Habits
A groundhog’s diet changes throughout the year in response to food availability and physiological needs. In spring and early summer, they primarily seek out tender, new plant growth, including fresh greens and succulent plants that emerge after winter. As late summer and fall approach, groundhogs shift their focus to consuming more calorie-dense foods. This period involves a significant increase in their intake of fruits, berries, and agricultural crops to build up substantial fat reserves. During winter, groundhogs enter hibernation, relying entirely on accumulated fat.
Foods Groundhogs Avoid or Should Not Be Fed
Wild groundhogs avoid certain plants, such as those with strong odors, including some in the mint and onion families. While they can discern edible from non-edible plants, some toxic species are naturally bypassed. Woody plants are consumed less frequently than softer herbaceous materials unless other food is limited.
Avoid feeding wild groundhogs human-provided foods. Items such as bread, processed foods, sugary snacks, or meat are not part of their natural diet. Providing these can lead to nutritional imbalances, health issues, altered foraging behaviors, and dependency on human handouts. Such actions can also increase human-wildlife conflicts, as groundhogs may become less wary of people.