Northwoods Almanac

Groundhog (woodchuck) hibernation I’ve written in the past how the idea of Groundhog Day always cracks me up, at least for Wisconsin’s Northwoods, given that groundhogs are deep in hibernation and are not in the least likely to poke their heads above ground to see if the sun’s shining. When a groundhog enters hibernation, its body temperature drops from around 99 degrees F to as low as 37 degrees, its heart rate falls from 80 beats a minute to four to 10 beats per minute, and its breathing rate falls to somewhere between two breaths a minute and one breath every six minutes depending on what source you read.

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• By John Bates-
• February 3, 2022