Wildlife Damage Management, Internet Center for
Date of this Version
December 1975
Abstract
Woodchucks, or groundhogs, (Marmota monax) aer found in the eastern edge of the Great Plains. The first part of the scientific name, Marmota, is the Latin word for "marmot," the name given to the European marmot or the North American marmot which are close relatives of the woodchuck. The last part, monax, is an American Indian name for this rodent and means "the digger"; it alludes to the woodchuck's habit of excavating burrows.