ORGANIZING AND UTILIZING MY RESOURCES TO THEIR GREATEST EFFICIENCY
The Woodchuck (Marmota monax) is a sixteen to twenty inch rodent that lives in fields and open spaces across North America. It eats mostly vegetation in the early morning and late afternoon. It is also known as a marmot, groundhog or varmint.

The woodchuck will usually select a hill for its den, but will also select places near a fence or stone heap. The woodchucks choice of a hill for its den is a factor which keeps the den from flooding. Once their burrow has been constructed the animal will very rarely go further than one hundred yards away from its home. It will never use a tree for a home, but it might occasionally climb to escape a predator or to gather berries from low branches. is able to quickly dig a den by moving tremendous amounts of earth in a matter of minutes. It will loosen the earth with its front feet then with its hind feet it will use a spring-like motion to send the dirt backward. It will use a double-footed backward kick to move a mound, which will end with the woodchuck sprawled flat. When its tunnel becomes deep enough that the dirt cannot be kicked out, it will loosen the dirt with its front and hind feet and use its head to push the dirt out of the hole. In a single season the woodchuck can move around 700 pounds of dirt. While digging the woodchuck keeps dirt out of its ears by using its own unique muscle structure to bring down the upper ear and bring the sides of the lower ear together so that even the tiniest dust particle cannot get in.

The woodchuck’s burrow consists of a maze of tunnels. The den’s main entrance is slanted and can be used as a lookout point to watch for predators. The main tunnel, which can be up to forty-five feet long, narrows and gradually turns where several tiny chambers can be found. These compartments include: a brood chamber, where the female keeps her young; sleep chamber; and excrement chamber. There are also several more tunnels which lead to hidden exits. During the construction of the burrow the woodchuck makes sure to build at least two exists, the main entrance has a mound of dirt in front of it, while the other exists are rarely used nd are there for escape purposes. When a fox pursues the animal to the main entrance, the woodchuck will use the secondary exit as a lookout point, which is relatively easy for the animal because it did not disturb even the vegetation when constructing the exit. If the fox or other predator does pursue the woodchuck into the burrow, the woodchuck will plug the tunnel behind it with hard-packed dirt as strong as a cement wall.

When chucklings arrive, they have their own separate chambers that have already been prepared. The mother will take care of the chucklings separately because the “family” area of the den is comprised of limited space.

The woodchuck like other hibernators stores its food for the winter, but the unique fact is, they don’t hide their food in the burrow, they store it in their body as fat. This serves as insulation for the low temperatures of winter and as food during the spring right after hibernation.

The woodchuck dislikes water so much that when it rains, it will retreat to its burrow until the storm is over. More proof of this fact is that the animal does not drink water, it relies on dew and plant juices for it’s fluid intake.

The legend that the woodchuck can forecast the arrival of spring by seeing its shadow on February 2nd is most likely false considering most “groundhogs” don’t even leave their den at this time.
MAINTAINING CLEANLINESS AND GOOD GROOMING
The Beaver (Castor Canadensis) is the largest rodent of North America. Beavers have a way of warning other beavers about danger. They lift their tails up over their backs and slam them down on the water. Any beaver that hears this warning sound, which can travel for half a mile on a quiet night, will dive beneath the surface and stay there as long as possible. A beaver needs to keep busy because its teeth grow continually throughout its life. These chisel-like teeth, if unused and worn down, will continue to grow through the roof of the beavers mouth which will end up killing the animal. This animal has large lungs and an over-sized liver. When it dives under water, its heartbeat slows requiring less oxygen. The blood vessels which supply the extremities will constrict so that the oxygen supply to the brain is not affected. It draws on the reserve oxygen in its lungs and tissues and sinks to the bottom of the pond. After hearing the alarm, the beaver can remain underwater for up to seventeen minutes.

The beaver will strategically place logs and interwoven sticks packed with mud and stones to build a structure which can withstand great amounts of pressure. The dam is securely anchored to the shore and river bottom. The beaver uses a remarkable engineering ability to block up a stream or river, which then causes the surrounding land to flood. By flooding the land, the beaver is using its engineering talents to protect itself. It is a docile and trusting animal that is vulnerable to attack but is not able to fight. By flooding the land, it makes new sources of food accessible while providing a deep pool where the creature can dive to escape predators.

In the center of their new pond, the beaver will build its lodge by constructing a pile of sticks, mud and vegetation. It will chisel out a tunnel and chamber above the water level. Each chamber has two sections, generally a “dining room”-”bedroom” design. The first floor, about four inches above the water, is the feeding area. It will eat the bark from twigs and let the twigs float away with the current. It will also stand here to allow its coat to dry before climbing up to the next level which is several inches higher and used for sleep. In order to make a dry bed the beaver cannot use the soft grasses you would think it would want. The soft grasses would get wet when brought into the lodge, which would cause them to mold and rot inside the lodge. Instead the beaver uses small sticks which it will split up into long fibers. Each bed is positioned separately against the wall.

The average beaver requires twenty-two to thirty ounces of bark each day. In late autumn the beaver will begin storing its food for winter. It busily retrieves branches and anchors them by ramming them into the bottom of the pond. When the ice freezes over the pond, the beaver swims to its cache of twigs, chews off a hunk and returns to the lodge where it will eat the bark with a revolving corn on the cob technique. Generally the beaver prefers birch and aspen bark for food. After eating the bark the animal might use the cleaned branch for building supplies, depending on the state of the dam and lodge. The male beaver sees to the lodge’s cleanliness and repairs. The other family members are rarely recruited to help with these responsibilities.

A sudden storm or melting snow can cause the water level to rise dangerously. The beaver will gnaw soil from the ceiling of its chamber and replace it along the floor. If the ceiling becomes weak the beaver will add twigs and soil on top. When the pond freezes, the beaver lowers the level of the water by making strategic holes in the dam to allow more water flow. This creates a gap between the water and ice, which gives the beaver sufficient air and space for it to breathe and swim on the water even though the surface is frozen.