Whistle Pig
I call this a groundhog, however, I've read that they're also known as 'whistle pig' for an alarm vocalization they sometimes make. On this day I heard that sound for the very first time, despite the fact that I've spent an enormous amount of time over the years observing groundhogs. The sound was shocking because these sweet animals are normally very quiet. It was a sudden (the groundhog didn't even take the time to swallow the dandelion greens she'd been eating) very loud whistle/shriek, repeated intermittently perhaps half-a-dozen times over a period of about 15 minutes. She bared her teeth throughout that time, which is something else I've never before seen a groundhog do. There is no doubt that groundhogs in a large area would hear the alarm call. I never did see what the threat was, but I have no doubt there was one.
Whistle Pig
I call this a groundhog, however, I've read that they're also known as 'whistle pig' for an alarm vocalization they sometimes make. On this day I heard that sound for the very first time, despite the fact that I've spent an enormous amount of time over the years observing groundhogs. The sound was shocking because these sweet animals are normally very quiet. It was a sudden (the groundhog didn't even take the time to swallow the dandelion greens she'd been eating) very loud whistle/shriek, repeated intermittently perhaps half-a-dozen times over a period of about 15 minutes. She bared her teeth throughout that time, which is something else I've never before seen a groundhog do. There is no doubt that groundhogs in a large area would hear the alarm call. I never did see what the threat was, but I have no doubt there was one.