{"id":10905,"date":"2022-04-07T19:03:32","date_gmt":"2022-04-07T19:03:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/?p=10905"},"modified":"2022-04-07T19:03:34","modified_gmt":"2022-04-07T19:03:34","slug":"groundhog-vs-beaver","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/groundhog-vs-beaver\/","title":{"rendered":"Groundhog Vs Beaver: Side By Side"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you\u2019ve ever seen a groundhog in passing, you may have thought it was a beaver. These two animals do have some similarities in appearance, but they have many differences as well. In this article, we\u2019ll compare the groundhog vs the beaver, discussing their similarities and differences as well as which would be most likely to win in a fight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is a Groundhog?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"What
Groundhog<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A groundhog is a rodent considered to be one of the \u201clargest marmots<\/em> in the world\u201d. Marmots are a class of rodents known for their bulky build and their proficiency at building tunnels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Groundhogs are known by various names, including whistle pig and woodchuck. Like other marmots, they dig burrows which serve as their homes, hibernation sites, mating dens, and places of escape.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Groundhogs are stocky and look somewhat like large, brown squirrels. They are covered in soft brown fur, have small rounded ears, and typically walk on all fours unless they are threatened or standing on their back legs to get a better view of their surroundings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Groundhogs live mostly in the eastern United States and Canada. They are most commonly found in grasslands, highlands, and forests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They are primarily herbivorous, eating plant foods like flowers, leaves, grass, wild lettuce, and tree bark. They also occasionally eat insects, snails, and even small birds, so they are technically considered omnivores.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is a Beaver?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Beavers are the second largest rodent in the world<\/a>, trailing only the capybara of Africa. These creatures are known for their flat tails, orange teeth, and dam-building skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beavers use their teeth to fell trees, stripping them of leaves and smaller branches then lauling the trunks and larger branches to the water to build dams. By damming up sources of flowing water, they create swamps, marshlands, and artificial ponds, where they build lodges and live in families.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

At first glance, beavers look similar to groundhogs, but they are much larger, generally darker in color, and have flat, hairless tails. They waddle around on all fours on land, but they spend a lot of time in the water and are graceful swimmers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beavers can hold their breath for up to 15 minutes while completely submerged under the water. They tend to retreat to their lodges or dams, which are in the water, anytime they sense they are in danger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beavers are found throughout the United States and Canada, as well as in parts of Europe and Asia. Because they spend so much time in the water, they are almost always found near rivers, streams, lakes, swamps, and marshlands.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beavers are herbivores. They eat primarily leaves, flowers, berries, and other plant foods, though in the winter especially they will also eat the soft inner bark of trees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Groundhog Vs. Beaver: Similarities and Differences<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Groundhog
Beaver<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Now that we have a better idea of what groundhogs and beavers are, let\u2019s take a closer look at some of their similarities and differences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Similarities<\/h3>\n\n\n\n