Forecasting rodents across the continent!







It is a German tradition to have a groundhog tell you the weather.  Basically, he is hibernating (and is one of the only animals who actually does so)!  He is forced out of his hole, and if he sees his shadow, he gets scared and jumps back into his hole to sleep longer!  If he does not see his shadow, he figures the weather will be nice (an early spring) and stays awake.


Most of us have heard of Punxsutawney Phil, but here are some other weather forecasting groundhogs you might not know!  The full article from About.com (where I copied all of this information) can be found by clicking here!


Check these out...some of them are pretty funny!  Some of the links inside the descriptions will actually tell you about each, while others will take you to the website for each groundhog's home, fyi.


It made me think...if Indiana had its own groundhog, what would we name it?




Balzac Billy - Alberta, Canada


Also known as the Prairie Prognosticator, Balzac Billy is a young upstart groundhog in Alberta, Canada.



Buckeye Chuck- Ohio


A February tradition for many years, the Ohio General Assembly declared 'Buckeye Chuck' from Marion, OH, the official State Groundhog in 1979.



General Beauregard Lee - Georgia


The official weather prognosticating groundhog from the state of Georgia makes his home at the Yellow River Game Ranch.



Shubenacadie Sam


This Canadian groundhog makes his home at the Shubenacadie Provincial Wildlife Park in Nova Scotia and makes one of the earliest Groundhog Day predictions.



Smith Lake Jake - Alabama


Jake, the groundhog, lives at the Birmingham Zoo in Birmingham, Alabama, where he makes his annual weather-predicting appearance at 10 am on February 2. Southern groundhogs like to sleep in late!



Staten Island Chuck - New York


The Staten Island Zoo is home to groundhog Staten Island Chuck who makes his official Groundhog Day prediction each year at 7:30 a.m. on February 2nd.



Sir Walter Wally - North Carolina


This southern groundhog and his friends at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences invite you to participate in the annual statewide celebration of Groundhog Day to see Sir Walter Wally emerge from his winter digs.



Wiarton Willie - Ottawa, Canada


Canada's answer to Punxsutawney Phil, Wiarton Willie is a groundhog living on the South Bruce Peninsula.






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