Groundhogs picturesAdvanced Photoshop Pictures Contest - 32 image entries
Contest Directions: 
On the Groundhog Day, February 2nd, 2009,
Punxsutawney Phil saw its shadow and predicted six more weeks of winter. The National Climatic Data Center studied the statistics of such Groundhog Day predictions, and reported that the prediction accuracy rate is around 39%. Which is still higher than for most weather forecasters.
Photoshop groundhogs any way you wish. Some examples are - merge groundhogs with other animals or even celebrities, photoshop anything related to Groundhog Day, show how life would be different if groundhogs ruled the world. These are just some ideas.
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Jackpot: 1st place: $5, 2nd place: $3 , 3rd place: $2 , 4th place: $1
Started: 2/5/2009 5:00:00 PM, Ended: 2/8/2009 6:00:00 PM
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| | Groundhog (In Latin - Marmota monax) - North American rodent of marmots kind of squirrels family. Unlike many other kinds of marmots, like for example yellow bellied and white marmot, which inhabit in mountain terrains, groundhog prefers plain territories.
External appearance:
This is small marmot: body length of adult individual is 41.866.5 cm, mass is 3-5 kg. Male marmots are slightly bigger than female marmots. Body structure is tight with relatively short but powerful paws, which are capable to dig. Limb has five toes, at front limbs first toe is rudimentary. Tail is relatively short, 2025 % of length of the body (1015 cm), flattened and bushy covered with black or black-brownish hairs. Ears are small and in round shape. Cheek bags are rudimentary. Fur is coarse with bushy gray color under fur. Color is dominantly reddish or reddish-brown with deposition of white due to bright tips of over hairs. Head and cheeks are free from white marks; white spot is there near the nose. Lower part of the body is brighter. Foots are black, black-brown or (for sub type M. m. ochracea) rose-brown. Young marmots have dark shades. There are special albino and absolute black. Shedding of hair for groundhogs takes place once in a year from end of the May to August.
Female marmots have 4 pairs of nipples but not 5 as other types of marmots. In corners of the mouth there are buccal (altered sweat glands) glands, which emit odorous secret using which marmots of both sexes put labels; there also 3 anal glands. Tooth formula: 22 = I { 1 \over 1} C {0 \over 0} P {2 \over 1} M {3 \over 3}. Incisor teeth of marmots grow during their entire life, which results in case of their bad seaming in improper bite and fasting.
Area of distribution:
In spite of its name in Russian language, groundhog inhabits basically in open plains and outskirts of forests but not in forests.
Ground hog widely spread type of American marmots. Huge part of its inhabitance is North-east and central states of USA. You can see them starting from Central Alaska to Big Slave lake, South coast of Hudson bay and along the river Churchill (Quebec). Sub type of Marmot monax ignava is spread in Eastern part of peninsula Labrador. Their natural habitat spreads over in Eastern part of North America from New Scotland towards South to the states Georgia, Alabama, North-west part of Luciana and Arkansas; from Atlantic coast to the Great Plains (east part of Oklahoma). In west, natural habitat is located along the Rocky Mountains up to North part of Idaho state. In general, natural habitat of groundhog is more than 2 500 000 km2.
Life style and diet:
Within the limits of its natural habitat, groundhog settles in low lying forest-field ecotones by preferring to occupy forest terrains for hibernation and open for feeding and reproduction. Deforestation and cultivation of lands in general benefit because marmots frequently occupy the lands being cultivated, by altering the small areas of forest or wooden lands with herbaceous pastures. They also live in dry, sandy-loam and light loamy soils in clear forests, in forest glades and forest borders, in thick bushes and green planting, along the coasts of water reservoirs, in thick ravines, on pastures, close to the agricultural fields. We can also find them in forests of different type including coniferous. Unlike other North American types, groundhog does not live in elevated areas.
These wild animals rarely go to remote areas from their shelters. Burrows especially wintering are built in well drained areas, which are heated by sun. Winter burrows are built in forest terrains, usually at inclinations of hills; summer burrows are generally located in open, plain areas including in fields. Average amount of earth thrown out to the surface during digging of burrow is equal to 325 kg or 1 м3. Burrows of groundhog have from 1 to 11 entrances; main entrance as usual is easily noticeable owing to the ground and rocks thrown to the surface. Side entrances are with smaller dimension and masked in better way; may look like almost vertical entrances connected with main tunnel. In permanent burrow of marmot tunnels lead to nest chamber (up to 45 cm in diameter) covered with dry leafs and grass, which is generally located at the depth of 0.9 - 1.8 m. There are special lavatory chambers also. Overall length of tunnels may reach 15 m. There may be up to 8 burrows in the territory occupied by adult marmot. Home range of marmot as a rule is small with an area of less than 2 hectares; areas of settled male marmots frequently spread over the places of winter hibernation of 13 adult female marmots, but do not cross with areas of other male marmots.
Groundhogs manage generally single territorial life style; there may be pairs and groups during reproduction. Rarely one pair of male marmot and female marmot occupy single burrow. Among all the types of marmots, groundhogs act as most aggressive towards congeners including sexually matured females - towards other female marmots. Adult individuals as a rule run settled life style, though on requirement may change their foodstuff areas; young female marmots generally roam from one place to another. Marmots living in adjacent areas set between themselves dominating hierarchy.
Predominately marmots are active during day time, though may be in dusk and even during night time. Early spring and autumn before hibernation their active peak comes during mid day; during summer season active peaks may come during morning time and end of the day.
For communication, marmots generally use typical sharp whistle, which is audible at the distance of 200300 m. Rarely they issue damped bark; during fight with congeners, they squeal. When they are on surface, frequently they take stud pose; similar behavior is observed for young marmots starting from 37th day of life. During threats, they hide in nearest burrow; generally move with speed of not more than 3 km/hour but in case of danger they may accelerate up to 16 km/hour. If it is not possible to escape, marmots aggressively protect themselves using teeth and front claws. They may climb trees by escaping from pursuers. Predators of groundhogs are wolfs, pumas, red trots, bears, weasels and also big predator birds and snakes, which generally attack young marmots in burrows. However in many agricultural areas favorable for habitation of groundhogs, big predators are very rare, thats why their main enemies are foxes, American jackals. |
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