Before they go into hibernation, they will eat a lot and get very fat.  They do this so that they can last through the whole winter without coming outside.  They hibernate in burrows.  These animals hibernate in family groups.  They close up the entrance to their burrows with stones, clay, and feces.  They sleep and wake many times through winter.  They live on body fat and don’t store food in their burrows.  Males come out of the burrow first.
   This animal's body temperature is about 6-9 degrees above freezing when it hibernates.  The heart rate slows down to 4-5 times in a minute.  This is normal for them.  Groundhogs sleep very deeply during hibernation.  They are sleeping so deeply that if you try to wake one up, it will probably just lay there.  Its body will be cold to the touch and rough handling won’t wake it. 
   The groundhog's body has rough fur, short and bushy tail, very small ears, tiny and short feet, and strong nails.  They have a sharp whistle that tells other animals when an enemy is near.

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