You're not going to believe this!

Benton, KY(Zone 7a)

Look what was wanting in my back door a little while ago!

He was making a valiant effort to get inside. I had time to run and get the camera and get this shot off before the dog saw him. (dog was inside, and always at my heels)

We live in a rural neighborhood, but I have nearly 5 acres of lawn and I've got roads on 2 sides, and a neighbor with a groomed lawn on the other...Mr.Groundhog had to come across my lawn and UP the steps to knock on my back door!

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Columbus, GA(Zone 8a)

I wonder just what he had in mind?

Hack

(Debra) Garland, TX

That's funny. :-)

Christiana, TN(Zone 6b)

I had one come up to my house but not the door. My dogs cornered it and killed it. These critters must be getting really hungry this year.

Madison, AL

I think it is pretty obvious what he was up to - is it as hot there as it is in North Carolina? Even these critters appreciate a little AC.

Sandusky, OH

lol...Hey I know you got water in there...Open Up!

Saugerties, NY(Zone 5a)

Now that is one brazen groundhog. Great picture

Benton, KY(Zone 7a)

Plenty of groundhog food on the other side of the house. I have 2 apple trees, blueberry bushes and a veggie garden. My neighbor has a low water feature that he could access (and the creeks aren't dry yet either)

It has been blazing hot for the last 10 days (or more) and yesterday was no different...then why come out of a burrow and across the hot concrete and up the hot concrete steps in the hot afternoon? I can't imagine where it is living...we just do not have that type of habitat in the immediate area. There are 2 schools directly across one of the roads.

We have groundhogs in the area, I often see them here and there, but we have plenty of foxes and coyotes too. I wouldn't have batted an eye to see one a couple of hundred yards down the road but not at my back door!

(can groundhogs get rabies???)

Charleston, SC(Zone 9a)

ROTFL at the little fella. I don't know exactly what particular item he came for, but it seems pretty clear he wants to come inside. Maybe he just came for a visit, you know, to talk and such. That is too funny.

We don't have groundhogs here, thank goodness, as we have more than enough critter issues as is. Consequently, I know nothing about groundhogs, their behavior, etc. I've never even seen one. If I did see one I wouldn't know what it was. I'd be running for the camera and coming on here to ask for an ID. I have no idea if they get rabies either. On the one hand, I've never heard or read anything about them as rabies carriers. On the other hand, most animals are vulnerable to rabies to one extent or other, except for opossums, that is. (Ruth might know, given her many years in animal control.)

Whatever he/she wants, his decision to seek it at your door, is cute. In a strange way, this reminds me of the day that Heidi 1st came down the fence in front of me that day in broad daylight. Like with your 'guy' there, her behavior at the time was so unprecedented that it prompted me to reach out to others to ask what the heck she wanted. Who knows, maybe you are about to have a new friend. :-)

Charleston, SC(Zone 9a)

What did you do? Did you try to interact with it? Offer it food? (Do these animals bite? Are they mean/aggressive? Again, I know nothing about them. How big/tall are they?) Have you seen it again since the day of the photo?

Charleston, SC(Zone 9a)

Just a thought. Maybe it was raised by humans and then set free (as sometimes happens with orphaned raccoon babies). That would explain the behavior, being comfortable around people and houses. Or maybe someone previously fed it so that it is comfortable around humans.

Did you see makj's thread some time back where she and her mother had developed this unusual relationship with a [wild] squirrel? The squirrel would climb up on their laps to eat nuts. It was so adorable. Perhaps someone had previously interacted with this groundhog in that way.

Benton, KY(Zone 7a)

This was yesterday afternoon and I think it is young. Groundhogs can get much bigger than this. My estimation is that it was about 10lbs and I've seen them that are easily 30lbs. I had time to get this one shot snapped before my Sheltie frightened it. The dog was in the house with me, but just as I was snapping the shot, she took chase when she saw it at the door. Of course, she only got as far as the glass door. By the time I ran the 20-25 feet (zoom lens) to the door, it was long gone. These are historically timid animals and I'm not sure whether they are more active during the day or night. I see them frequently during the day along the road, just not in my yard. I have a solid foundation and the yard is flat and somewhat landscaped with no place to dig a burrow (or hide) I don't know how fast they can run, but apparently they can pick them up and put them down when necessary. We have a pasture on the north side that it could have headed for, but this was on the south side. The house is 70 feet long and it is another 100 feet to the pasture.

I'm going to do some investigating and see if I can figure out where it came from. I have apples on the ground so I figure that was what it was after, but didn't see any with teeth marks or evidence anything was eating them...and they are another 50 foot or more from the back door...and around a corner.

It just didn't make any sense. It didn't appear aggressive or sick, but I saw it a total of about 20 seconds, so can't be certain. I sent his pic to my vet (who is also my cousin) to see if he has any information. I seriously doubt that it was raised by humans...not in this area. I know my neighbors for several miles and it just wouldn't make sense.

Charleston, SC(Zone 9a)

I hope you will keep us informed about what you find out and whether you see the little 'fella' again.

Benton, KY(Zone 7a)

Well, part of the mystery is solved. I went out with the dog at lunch and encouraged her to 'find it'...she sniffed around and headed for my neighbor's lawnmower shed. (about 150 feet from my back door)

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Benton, KY(Zone 7a)

She whined and did her "I've found a mole" sound and tried to get under the shed. Looks like Mr. Groundhog has an in door and an out door...nice and comfy, and pretty cool in this weather...

A Facebook friend suggested that he might have seen his reflection in the door glass...which makes sense. We have a male Cardinal that attacks our side mirrors if we leave the car outside. He might have been investigating that other groundhog who seemed to be living much better than his hole under the lawnmower shed.

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Hendersonville, NC(Zone 7a)

That is adorable, melody; and though it's hard to judge size/perspective in a photo, it looks to be a young groundhog. Not a baby, mind you, more like adolescent at best. Yes, they are normally very timid and secretive in their comings and goings, so this is definitely unusual behavior; as you say, it's usually only by the side of the road that you see one. The area under the neighbor's shed is a great den for a youngster, and way cooler than many of the other available choices. I have no idea what could have prompted that curiosity at your door, though it is the sort of typical dumb behavior that a youngster would try; dumb in that it is not at all a wise survival mood, as your dog's reaction shows.

Theoretically ANY mammal can contract rabies: only mammals are vulnerable to it. Beyond theory, the reality is that the species considered to be at highest risk are all carnivores, like bats and foxes, or highly social omnivores like raccoons. I've read a multitude of theories are to why that's true, but it's all guesswork. It's also true that animals in the rodent family, which includes groundhogs and beavers, almost never get rabies. To me that blows one of the explanatory theories out of the water, namely that carnivores are more likely to fight over food and are thus at higher risk. I defy anyone to come up with a species more prone to food fights than the common rat, who virtually never gets rabies. Herbivorous species in general are at very low risk (and this of course includes groundhogs), though cattle and horses are occasionally infected in areas where there's rabies in the vampire bat (primarily Mexico and southwest US).

As is no doubt obvious from the above, there's a whole lot that science doesn't yet know about this virus. We know all about how the virus works once it enters the body; and unfortunately, despite ongoing efforts for probably a century or more, we know that as yet there is no cure. Prevention is everything with this disease, and fortunately we have vaccines for both humans and animals that are hugely successful at prevention.

And BTW, groundhogs can bite, but they rarely do; escape is always their default when available, and I've only ever heard of them biting when picked up (and who can blame them, when a giant alien scoops them up off the ground?). That said, herbivore bites in general cause more bruising than bleeding; they don't have the carnivores' teeth for tearing and puncturing, but boy do they have jaw pressure: think cracking nuts, chewing through thick tree roots and trees in the beaver's case. When I worked animal control, we had very dense lined "bite gloves" made of hide; they protected us beautifully from cat, raccoon, etc. bites, but squirrels could bite through them and bruise the heck out of you in a new york minute.

Can't explain your visitor, but he/she is adorable; I'd just relax and enjoy and hope he/she stays out of your Sheltie's reach. He looks perfectly healthy, and animals infected with rabies do not.
Ruth

Benton, KY(Zone 7a)

New info...I just caught this pic with my big zoom lens from my back steps.

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Benton, KY(Zone 7a)

And now, there are 2.

They skeedaddled under the lawnmower shed as soon as they detected me, so this is only a cropped shot of the first one.

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Bartlesville, OK(Zone 6a)

and soon there will b e 3, 4, 5...LOL

Edinburg, TX

WOW! That is too weird!

I know they're not muskrats...but that danged song popped into my head!

Muskrat Suzie
Muskrat Sam
Do the jitterbug
Out in muskrat land
And they shimmy
Sam is so skinny

And they whirl and they twirl
And they tango
Singing and jinging a jango
Floating like the heavens above
Looks like muskrat love

Nibbling on bacon
Chewing on cheese
Sam says to Suzie, honey
Would you please be my Mrs.
Suzie says yes with her kisses

Now he's tickling her fancy
Rubbing her toes
Muzzle to muzzle, now
Anything goes as they wriggle
Sue starts to giggle

ROFL!!!

~ Cat

Hendersonville, NC(Zone 7a)

The cuteness factor just multiplied exponentially; wonder if they're teenagers in love? As kittymom said, guess you'll know when more, smaller ones appear.

Charleston, SC(Zone 9a)

LOL, I agree with Susan. I think you are about to have a groundhog explosion. lol.

I learn so much here at DG. I had no idea groundhogs were shy. Really, I knew nothing about them, but I would have figured they were like squirrels that make holes all over your yard. This is the fun way to learn.

I like the theory of how the critter ended up at your door, seems logical.

Benton, KY(Zone 7a)

I think these are part of a litter. I just haven't seen Mom yet.

From what I've read, they prefer to modify an existing feature for a living space instead of just digging a hole in the ground, so they like hillsides with rocks (not a plentiful option in west KY) or fallen tree trunks...or apparently lawnmower sheds.

From their quick exit, they're wary, and on guard for any potential trouble. I'm guessing that they've 'met' my dog before. Now that they're discovered, I'll be curious if they continue to live under the shed, or move along to another locale. If they are a litter, they'll not want to share the same den when they ultimately mature.

Charleston, SC(Zone 9a)

Were those groundhogs in Caddy Shack, or chipmunks? We don't have either. These animals are just 'words' to me or at least were. Your pictures and descriptions are helping to make them more real.

Manzanita, OR(Zone 8b)

Your picture is just adorable. I had to deal with these critters when I lived in southern Ohio and they can really cause a bunch of damage when they undermine a house with all their caves.

Benton, KY(Zone 7a)

I think Caddyshack had gophers (a cousin) http://raptus8.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/gopher.jpg

Groundhogs are bigger: https://fifthgradeconnections.wikispaces.com/file/view/image.jpg/32783635/image.jpg

Apparently they can be tamed somewhat, Punxsutawney Phil is a groundhog: http://heartlandtoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/punxphil1.jpg

I haven't seen them today.

Calgary, AB(Zone 3a)

That pic of the groundhog knocking on your door is the cutest Melody.

Edinburg, TX

We don't get those out here either. Would rather see one of those knocking on the patio door than a mountain lion! :o)

~ Cat

Dover AFB, DE(Zone 7a)

Too precious that it knocked on your door!

Hendersonville, NC(Zone 7a)

You're right, melody, groundhogs can be pretty tame if raised from a very young age - as can prairie dogs from another part of the country. Puxatawney Phil is not only tame, he's spoiled rotten (I grew up in PA).

Cheryl, chipmunks don't look anything like groundhogs or squirrels, though all are in the rodent family. Chipmunks are tiny (not much bigger than sparrows, plus the tail) and absolutely adorable with brown and white stripes along their sides. They can, however, wreak havoc on newly planted bulbs, and raid birdfeeders, stuffing their cheeks to the point of explosion with seed to cache away. We have lots of chips in our woodpiles...at least until the black snake finds them. It's funny that you're familiar with critters like alligators (heaven help you) but never see these common little creatures who are so common elsewhere.

Rapid City, SD(Zone 4b)

Also known as a "Woodchuck"...

How much wood would a Woodchuck chuck if a Woodchuck could chuck wood?

Hendersonville, NC(Zone 7a)

Right, Polyacre...and I never could do that phrase repeatedly without tripping all over it somewhere along the line.

Sandusky, OH

Quote from Polyacre :
Also known as a "Woodchuck"...

How much wood would a Woodchuck chuck if a Woodchuck could chuck wood?



Also have heard it called a "Whistle Pig" lol

Rapid City, SD(Zone 4b)

LOL !! Whistle Pig !! Never ever heard of that one !! Cute Cute ... Makes me think of some animated movie or mabe a cartoon... Cant even remember.. But there was a groundhog on there that whistled with almost ever word spoke !! Does anyone remember that? Driving me crazy that I cant remember

Hendersonville, NC(Zone 7a)

You know, I do have a vague memory of a whistling cartoon groundhog; but it's way too vague to put names on it. Sorry, polyacre.

Charleston, SC(Zone 9a)

I'm way out of my area of expertise here, but by any chance was it 'Gopher' in Winnie The Pooh? Sources say he was a whistling ground hog:

http://www.disneypicture.net/data/media/54/Gopher_wallpaper.gif

Rapid City, SD(Zone 4b)

Ya know I bet it was !!! Geeezzzz guess it's been forever that I watched that Silly ole Bear !!! Gonna have to find an old vhs and put it in and watch a bit to get that fix!! LOL

Hendersonville, NC(Zone 7a)

That could well be it; he looks adorably familiar.

Mooresville, NC(Zone 7b)

We had groundhogs on our property when we first moved here. They will reuse abandoned burrows from other groundhogs. My dogs would lie in wait for one to show it's head. They would then show me their prize before devouring all but the tail. Apparently they must be good eating because my dogs have caught other wildlife and just left it laying around. Ugh!
If you have a vegetable garden, watch out. I lost an entire crop of green beans to groundhogs once. They do like to eat clover, and it looks like that's what they are eating, from your photos. Other than the garden issue, I think they are pretty harmless.

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