Nature never ceases to amaze me!


I just drove into my driveway from the store & saw what my dog's been after, under my broken-down van!

My daughter had told me she had seen a groundhog go under there but she didn't mention the color.

There he was, all grown & the same color as a yellow tabby cat!

I put my groceries away & went back out, & there he was again, in the yard!

Is this just his "fall-colored coat"? I have never seen one that color!

Vicki

Ok, so nobody seems to think this color variation is interesting, but I do!

I went to get my daughter from school, and asked her about the animal she had seen, andthe one she had seen, was a normal, brownish groundhog, so I told her to turn into the driveway very slowl...and there he was again...I got one pic from inside the house, through a window, and spooked him when I tried to get out on the porch.

Then I had to cook dinner, so it got dark.

Has anyone else seen this color in a groundhog?

She descrbed it as "just like a golden/yellow lab", only it's a groundhog/woodchuck!

Ok...you all think I'm really crazy, now!
I will have to call Animal Control to trap it & confirm that I am not crazy!

Or maybe you just don't care that I think this is a weird thing.

Either way, I am gonna keep watching him/her until i get a decent pic!

Interesting.

I have never seen one quite as light as you describe, though many are quite light yellowish or orangish. Nature does tend to send us some quirks now and then. Hope you get a picture.

James_1,

Thank you for responding to my post!
I don't remember where you live, if you told us here, but maybe the color of animals, and/or the specific type, varies in different areas.

When I was up in Canada, in August, I saw black squirrels, which I have NEVER seen here...Elfie can confirm my surprise at them...she was with me, and said they are normal up there.

I swear, I have been back in NY almost 4 years, and I grew up here, and have never seen any color groundhog but brown, and I mean toward the darker color brown...nothing like this one...the color of a golden lab!

Anyway, I will try to get a pic of it! I don't have a digital camera, and MY 35mm camera...well, my son is using for a Black & White photography class right now & he had B & W film in it...I knew THAT wasn't gonna show the critter's color!

Gotta wait now...Thanks!
Vicki

http://www.hoghaven.com/

Over on the right you can click on photos to see more. Go down the list and you will see "White Groundhog". We had one early this spring, I wouldn't say he was as light as this one, he had more of a reddish tint.

Thanks, Mumsy!

Yes, I looked at the pic, and it looks like the sun was shining on that one, but you can see the goldish/redish on it's sides.

It is so strange to see something unusual, like that, when you're used to seeing the brownish ones.

I gotta work all day today, til 8pm, so I won't have time to "stalk" him. My dog is out looking for him now, but they run into their burrows so fast, and she's on a chain, so she'll never get him!

A couple years ago, she was loose & she did corner one, but I saved her, cuz I didn't wanna see the fight...she's only 10 pounds & she would have lost, I think!

Thanks, again, for the link!
Vicki

I think it's interesting. We don't have groundhogs down here. Or not that I know of, anyways. I do know they were a pain-in-the-@rse for my grandfather up in Michigan. All of those were brown, to my knowledge.

Does said groundhog's light coloration mean he is a welcome guest at your place?

I did see a video clip on the news last night of an albino squirrel. (From IL, I think - ?)

We've also had a resident woodchuck in our backyard this year. The coat color was fairly dark this spring and it is a little lighter now.

Perhaps it is a sport, as James_1 suggests....?

I remember seeing an unusual squirrel once, while walking home from work - we have normal-looking gray squirrels here - but this 1 had a blonde tail - like light yellow blonde hair(!)

The rest of its body seemed to be the normal gray color.

Never seen anything like that since.I assumed it must've been a sport(mutant).

So far all our groundhogs are the boring regular variety, would love to see a pic if you can manage to get one.-LJB

Hi all,
I did get a pic through the window (with an old regular camera), but haven't had a chance to stalk him again...

I have been bidding on eBay for the 1st time, for a digital, and I won an old Pentax 35mm the other night...used to have one, but it got stolen years ago, so I will keep lurking for the odd critter!

I saw a neighbor cat stalk & catch a squirrel yesterday! YUK! Just dragging it back near my house .
Vicki