With the arrival of frost and more frequent dustings of snow, Yukon's hibernating mammals like bears, ground squirrels and marmots are eating feverishly to prepare for a long winter sleep. Many Yukoners are surprised to learn that the woodchuck is among them.

"We usually think of woodchucks as being a prairie species, but their range does extend into the Yukon," says Bruce Bennett, a Yukon Government wildlife viewing biologist. "I sometimes get calls from people who are wondering if they saw a woodchuck."

Bennett explains that Yukon woodchucks -- also called groundhogs -- are pushed to the very northern limit of their range. Woodchucks are sparsely distributed in southern Yukon and seldom seen, but Bennett has heard of sightings as far north as Dawson and as far east as the LaBiche River.

Woodchucks are very common in the prairies, central and eastern Canada, and eastern United States. Their distribution appears on maps like a wide swath across the continent, with a narrow finger protruding diagonally through the Yukon to central Alaska.

"People have recently reported woodchucks near Teslin, Swift River, Quiet Lake and along the Nisutlin River. We also heard about them near Dawson and the Top of the World Highway, and this summer I saw two at Delta Junction," says Bennett. "In fact, I recently received a letter from some visitors from Red Deer who reported two woodchucks near Rancheria Falls."

"The Yukon subspecies Marmota monax ochracea was first described in 1911 from a specimen taken at Fortymile Creek in Alaska," says Bennett. "The reddish-brown fur of ochracea distinguishes it from subspecies in southern Canada." He adds that the colour can vary, and may be more yellowish-buff in southern Yukon.

Bennett also explains that southern subspecies are able to colonize large agricultural areas, whereas the Yukon woodchuck tends to lead a more solitary life. Woodchucks are rodents, but within this very large group they are most closely related to marmots. Their size ranges from two to four kilograms, but in the fall they eat considerably more and become heavier as winter approaches.

Though woodchucks may not be highly visible, Bennett points out that they are an important species for Yukon First Nations people. The Tagish and Inland Tlingit trap woodchucks in late summer for their delicious meat and durable skins.

Woodchucks are not swift, but they have sharp teeth and claws and can be quite fierce if they have to defend themselves. Woodchucks let off a shrill whistle when they are alarmed, and they also make a noise by grinding their large front teeth. To escape predators -- like fox, lynx, coyotes and wolves -- a woodchuck's best defense is usually to dive into burrows.

Woodchuck burrows can be very complex, with several spyholes and a main nest as well as a 'toilet' chamber. Woodchucks breed shortly after coming out of hibernation, and females give birth to up to four wrinkled and hairless babies about a month later.

Across much of North America, the groundhog is recognized as a legendary harbinger of spring. On February 2nd, people await a groundhog sighting with great anticipation -- if he sees his shadow there will be six more weeks of winter, and if he doesn't then it means an early arrival of spring.

The tale of the groundhog has no basis in fact, but it does provide people with a welcome reminder that the long winter will soon be over. Even if the groundhog tale were true, most Yukon woodchucks don't come out of hibernation until well into April -- long after their southern cousins have emerged -- so it's unlikely they could be an effective predictor of seasonal change!

Bennett says that woodchucks like dry open areas and need well-drained soil for their burrows, which are sometimes found on old eskers. He suggests that people are most likely to see woodchucks where digging is easy and vegetation is lush -- along the roadside, at the forest edge, along riverbanks or in meadows.