The marmot belongs to the Rodentia order and the Sciuridae family, which it shares with squirrels, so it is a type of rodent, although it is large. It forms a diverse group, where the genus Marmota is subdivided into two subgenera, 15 species and 42 subspecies. They are generally social animals and can be aggressive towards intruders. They live mainly in the underground burrows that they build where they spend much of their time, which they share with a family group. In this article on our site we want to present you with information about one of the peculiarities of these animals. Keep reading and find out how much does a groundhog sleep
How many hours does a groundhog sleep a day?
The groundhog is among the animals that sleep the most, although this will depend on the time of year, as it is a true animal that hibernatesIn fact, it has long periods of lethargy in which it remains asleep, as is the case of the gray marmot (Marmota baibacina), which can hibernate for up to 7 or 8 months. Now outside of winter, activity time can vary from species to species. In general, even in summer, they can spend 16 to 20 hours a day sleeping in their burrow.
A typical aspect of the genus is the construction of complex burrow systems that provide them not only with protection from predators, but also with conditions suitable for spending the months of hibernation. One difference is that when they are active they stay in the den at a level closer to the surface, but in winter they descend more, since this insulates them better from the cold.
In general, the various species of marmots are inactive during winter times, mainly in those regions with significant drops in temperature. In this sense, they are more active outside of this season, although there are cases such as the Olympic marmot (Marmota olympus) that also becomes less active in the presence of rain.
With a behavior different from the previous one, the bobak marmot (Marmota bobak) spends between 12 and 16 hours outside its burrow during its activity time, especially in the mornings and evenings, although it can extend until nightfall. Something similar occurs with the gray-haired marmot (Marmota caligata), which spends more than 40% of its time on the surface during the summer.
Now, During hibernation Woodchucks go into torpor for long periods, sleeping for more than a week straight, which corresponds approximately to about 150 hoursHowever, it has been identified that, during this process, they have intervals in which they wake up from this state for around 40 hours, to enter lethargy again.
Now, the total sleep time of marmots depends on the region where they live, so, for example, the native bobak marmot from regions such as Russia and Ukraine, has hibernation periods between 5 to 6 months, while the gray marmot, native to China, Mongolia, the Russian Federation, among other countries, and the Olympic marmot that lives in the United States, can be up to 8 months in this state of lethargy.
Woodchuck sleep cycle
The groundhog's sleep cycle or hibernation process is not something simple that just involves sleeping through the winter. In this sense, we can summarize that the cycle of sleep or hibernation consists of:
- Preparation phase: the groundhog must prepare for this moment so that, in the previous months, it will consume enough food to store nutrients bodily, since it will depend on these reserves to subsist while it is in torpor. During the months March to September approximately (and depending on the species) these animals carry out activities such as constantly feeding for the storage of reserves, reproduction and social interaction.
- Hibernation phase: with short periods of activation and completion of the process. When it enters the hibernation process, the woodchuck decreases by up to metabolism, so that their temperature, heart rate and respiratory rate are drastically reduced. Once they enter this sleep period, they will alternate with others in which they wake up and, although it is not entirely clear why, it is estimated that it is to guarantee functioning at the cellular level and carry out the excretion process.
It has been known that when the winter extends for a few more weeks, these animals tend to continue in lethargy, and it is the case that some young individuals consume a large amount of their body reserves, which can lead to death in the process.
What is hibernation and what animals hibernate? If you want to know the answer, don't hesitate to read this other article on our site that we recommend.
How do groundhogs sleep?
As we have explained, groundhogs prepare for their sleep periods, since it is a fairly complex state that requires certain conditions. Once they are ready to go into hibernation, they then prepare the burrow, which will generally be deeper than where they are located at other times of the year.
Marmots sleep in groups, that is, the family group enters the burrow, then they form species of balls of earth, manure and even rocks to form a plug that closes the entrance to the cave, this will help keep the heat inside the space. Sleeping in a group also facilitates a higher temperature due to the union of the bodies in that limited space.
Don't hesitate to take a look at this article with some Animals that live in caves and burrows, here.
Why do groundhogs sleep in winter?
Various species of marmots live in regions with extreme winters, being subject to low temperatures, which mainly influence food availability. Given these environmental conditions, the vegetation decreases considerably and the marmots, being mainly herbivorous animals, remain without available food, which is why they have developed this strategy of sleep long periods with the metabolism working at a minimum in order to survive.
