We were riding in the woods
and I was looking to the right of the road (for Moose!)
and
my husband said he saw something right ahead of the truck
run across the road.
He wasn't sure what it was...
It was small.
Like a muskrat, but he wasn't sure.
But he was sure of ONE thing.
He was sure it was still RIGHT THERE on the side of the road!
So, out I hopped from the truck and looked right over in the grass ahead.
And,
THIS is what I saw:
(do you see him??)
No???
Here, I will show you him a little closer:
He was so funny.
There were no leaves on the trees so he was hiding
right out in the open.
Only, HE thought he was hiding behind the bushes.
Just look at his cute little rodent face!!:
Perhaps a trip to the dentist could fix that overbite. Just sayin':
But, his cuteness was getting to me. I had to get in the truck before I took him home with me:
I heard him snicker, as we drove out of sight...
Those bushes hid me good,
I did it right!:
So, we got home and I said to my hubby:
"That was such a cute woodchuck we saw."
and
HE says:
"You mean the GROUNDHOG?"
And, I say:
"No it was a woodchuck".
And he says: "Aren't they the same critter?"
And, I say:
"Let's Google it and check Wikipedia"....
(If Sarah Palin can do it, so can I)....
Guess what??
It IS the same animal.
Just in case you were wondering....
23 comments:
Yep, they are one in the same....I had a muskrat corner me one time near our barn (while I was about 8 months pregnant). Thankfully our dog kept him busy so I could get away. We use to have woodchucks that lived under the grain bin and I was always worried I'd get my ankles bit off, so we never figured out why there was a muskrat there. Your photo brought back a memory of ancient history!
groundhog....ha.
lots of them on our roads this time of year...
Yup ! with front teeth like that he deffinatly is a woodchuck or best known as a (Beaver) We have Otters here in our river that flows through and around our village they are soo cute but they are hard to photograph very skittish creatures ! Your photos are awesome !
P.S Hence the name of our river Otter River !
I am trying to take your word for it that google says woodchuck and grounhog or the same, but i may have to google it. we settle every arugment we have with google. which ever he is or if both, he is beyond ADORBALE whatever that word would be. jealous I am
Cute groundhog..looks pretty proud of his good hiding job! Those are some impressive teeth, too!
LOL-----I hate to burst anyone's bubble, but they ARE the same critter (look it up in Wikipedia)....oh, and a beaver is a completely different animal, it has a long flat tail! I have seen many of them, but only caught one picture of a beaver a few years ago. But, not to worry, I am still trying to get a photo of one to post for all of you. Thanks everyone!!
One of his entrance holes could be in that area. They enjoy the sun if it's not too hot. I love woodchucks. I've always called them woodchucks since I was a kid. I guess in some parts they refer to them as groundhogs. I like woodchuck better. Besides, how could we say that riddle if it was called groundhog...LOL "If a woodchuck could chuck wood".
Those are great photos. Funny though, just yeasterday there was one on our back lawn and I said to Hubby, "look...is that a ground hog or a woodchuck?" Thanks for answering that one for us!
Whatever you want to call him,he does have a cute face.
I've always wondered....does anyone know.... how much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
LOL!! Sorry I just couldn't resist!
Last summer and this summer, we had a woodchuck on our lawn nearly every day. He seemed to be eating weeds in the grass. My, how he grew. I think it was the same creature this year, as he was already big in May. I never saw more than one. Last year, he seemed to be living under the woodshed; this year, he seemed to be living under the garage. Both of those "homes" concerned us, as we don't want the slabs undermined. About 2 1/2 weeks ago, I stopped seeing ol' Chuck so I guess he died or moved on or found a lady love elsewhere or something.
He was so shy and skittish that I could never get to see much of him if I went outside. The best view was with binoculars looking out the window.
I had to google it! LOL!
They are one in the same, but it does say that in some areas they are called "land-beavers". Maybe that is why Country Gal said "beaver". Regular beavers have very different tails, that's for sure.
He/she was so funny thinking it was hidden behind a few weeds--LOL! I think rodents are cute, too. :)
See? you learn something new everyday...never knew they were nicknamed "land beavers" LOL
Hi,Mellodee. He'd chuck all the wood that a woodchuck could if a woodchuck could chuck wood.
Great looking outdoor creature. We use to own a cabin in Minnesota and one of those guys lived under our cabin. They were a friendly sort that looked like a vegetarian to me the way he grazed in the pasture.
Okay, so this is what I learned today.
1) Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
2) A husband and wife can BOTH actually be right on something. (Who knew?)
3) Wikipedia can settle an argument......but did it tell you how much wood a woodchuck could a woodchuck chuck? Just curious.
Glad you dropped in on mygardenhaven as now i get to read your chronicles. I wonder what other retired people get into! Debating on the identity of cute furry creatures is item #1. Haha. Great post.
Rosie
Well Joan, I don't have to Google it cause I know you're right, they are the same critter. It's been awhile but I have seen a few of these guys.
He is a cutie, it would have been tempting to take him home.
How adorable! I've never seen one in person. Great close-ups of his cute face. :D
Great photos Joan. He's a cuties!
I can confuse the issue even more. I once had an arguement with someone who called one a marmot. I looked it up and they are indeed also Marmots. They are also called Land-Beavers.
He is too cute! I would have been very tempted to take him home.
Great pictures11
Have a wonderful day!
He was really cute! No wonder you wanted to take him home! Tom & I see a lot of woodchucks around our area, and we always thought they were the same animal as a ground hog too.
I enjoyed seeing him in the weeds. Very nice!
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