Woodchuck

Woodchucks, also known as groundhogs, are solitary animals, except for the few weeks a year when females have young, called kits. One litter per year is produced in a burrow underground, usually in April or May. The litter usually contains 2-6 kits that are born blind, naked and helpless. Their eyes don't open until they are about 4 weeks old. When they are 6-7 weeks old they'll begin exploring outside the burrow. By midsummer, they'll be digging practice burrows and will soon leave to continue life on their own.

Tip: If a woodchuck kit is found wandering some distance from its burrow without its mother, it may be orphaned. Watch from a distance for an hour or more to see if it rejoins its mother. If you determine the kit is orphaned, it will likely have littermates that also need help. Continue to search the area often for up to a week to see if its siblings appear. Unless a woodchuck appears to be injured, or sick, is walking in circles or falling over or is known to be orphaned, it should be left alone.