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07/19/2007 09:22:36 AM · #1 |
In a tree??? :D
Came home from work last night and noticed a "clump" of brown in the trees that seemed different/out of place. Sure enough, the clump was something different!
Looks like a groundhog (aka woodchuck) to me. Only thing I can figure is the dogs (two Jack Russells) were chasing it. It was still clinging to the tree in the early evening - was gone this morning.
 ,  , 
Anyone else ever seen anything like this? |
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07/19/2007 09:29:23 AM · #2 |
I have never seen anything like that, but i do love groundhogs. I have read that they can climb if they need to, but i don't know that they are fast enough runners to outrun a dog.
he's a nice looking groundhog though
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07/19/2007 09:37:04 AM · #3 |
Originally posted by gi_joe05:
I have never seen anything like that, but i do love groundhogs. I have read that they can climb if they need to, but i don't know that they are fast enough runners to outrun a dog.
he's a nice looking groundhog though |
He'll be toast if I find him digging in the horse pasture! :P I love animals, so I hope the dogs have scared him off.
I'll have to read up more on them myself. We see plenty of groundhogs in our area, especially in the wide open fields that the park service owns...first time seeing one on our property. Never expected to see one in a TREE however! :D |
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07/19/2007 10:21:07 AM · #4 |
Living in an area with large predatory birds that like to hunt the fields across the river from me, I have seen many in flight with small animals and fish in their talons. And we have some large birds around here - falcon, hawk, eagle, vultures. Perhaps one grabbed a hold of your little friend and found him to be too heavy to carry off and dropped him. Just a thought...
Last summer a bald eagle carried off something that looked to be the size of a cat. In fact it looked like a cat, but not sure what it was. |
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07/19/2007 10:35:45 AM · #5 |
Originally posted by CEJ:
Living in an area with large predatory birds that like to hunt the fields across the river from me, I have seen many in flight with small animals and fish in their talons. And we have some large birds around here - falcon, hawk, eagle, vultures. Perhaps one grabbed a hold of your little friend and found him to be too heavy to carry off and dropped him. Just a thought...
Last summer a bald eagle carried off something that looked to be the size of a cat. In fact it looked like a cat, but not sure what it was. |
Yep. That thought crossed my mind. We do have a fair population of hawks around here. The red-tailed being the largest I've seen. I'd wager that groundhog weighed between 20-30 pounds. Good sized load for sure. Do you think that if this groundhog got in a scuffle with a large predator bird it would be marked up some, maybe a bit bloody? This guy seemed healthy, except for being up a tree. :) |
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07/19/2007 10:51:31 AM · #6 |
Good question. Honestly I am not sure. However, the one time I did see an animal that had been dropped (a squirrel) before the vultures got to it only had a few small marks on its back from the talons. A lot of broken bones from the fall, but no blood other than from the mouth/nose/ears.
From a groundhog page:
"Mostly people complain that groundhogs are harvesting their fruits and vegetables. Since groundhogs are good climbers, fences are effective only if the area to be protected is small. The fence should be buried about one foot underground to prevent tunneling under it and 3-4 feet above ground and protected by a single strand of electrified wire placed immediately in front of it at a height of 4-5 inches. (Pocket Guide to the Humane Control of Wildlife in Cities, The Humane Society of the United States).
Occasionally a groundhog will climb a tree to sun itself or to escape a predator, and it is quite funny to observe the groundhog climbing a tree and stretching out on a large branch to enjoy the safety and sun. However, most groundhogs are observed along highways, in grassy areas, meadows, and median strips, eating and always on alert." |
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