Urban Observation: Groundhogs in Central Park

Have you ever seen a groundhog in Central Park? Or any other urban park?

According to @BirdCentralPark, these adorable rodents are not a common sight in Central Park, but there have been known individuals in the northern parts of the park. The groundhog (Marmota monax) is a very widespread North American species. Their range stretches from the Southern United States to Northern Canada. They typically reside in grasslands and forests but have come to take advantage of suburban areas within their range as well.

Another name groundhogs are known by is woodchuck! Both names are often used interchangeably for this species and what you call them likely depends on where you grew up. But they are indeed both Marmota monax. While this species is in the genus Marmota, there are many other species in this genus that are more commonly called marmots. There are 14 other extant species in Marmota, most of which live in the Western parts of the United States and Canada, Europe, and Central Asia.

If you live in NYC, take a good look around Central Park and see if you spot any groundhogs. Even if you don’t see these individuals, keep your eyes peeled for other signs they’ve been around, such as large holes in the ground, that might just be a groundhog’s burrow!

Do you have a photo or video of an urban species doing something unusual? What about a rare plant or animal that you were surprised to find in a city? If so, Tweet at us, and you could be featured as a future observation of the week!

References

Tobias, C. (2011). Marmota monax. Animal Diversity Web. https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Marmota_monax/

Groundhog (Marmota Monax). iNaturalist. https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/46095-Marmota-monax

Featured photo: © Daniel S. Katz, some rights reserved (CC-BY)

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Olivia Weklar

Graduate Student at New York University

Olivia is a graduate student in Kristin's lab at NYU. She studies the impacts of urbanization on the diet and gut microbiome of birds!

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