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Usually groundhogs [[breeding|breed]] in their second year, but a small percentage may breed as yearlings. The [[breeding season]] extends from early March to middle or late April, following hibernation. A mated pair will remain in the same den throughout the 28-32 day [[gestation period]]. As birth of the young approaches in April or May, the male will leave the den. One litter is produced annually, usually containing 2-6 blind, hairless and helpless young. Young groundhogs are weaned and ready to seek their own [[den]]s at five to six weeks of age.
[[Image:Groundhog_Resting.jpg|200px|thumb|
The groundhog prefers open country and the edges of woodland, and it is rarely far from a burrow entrance. Since the clearing of [[forest]]s provided it with much more suitable [[habitat (ecology)|habitat]], the groundhog population is probably higher now than it was before the arrival of European settlers in North America. Groundhogs are often hunted for sport, which tends to control their numbers. However, their ability to reproduce quickly has tended to mitigate the depopulating effects of sport hunting.<ref name="adweb" /> As a consequence, the groundhog is a familiar animal to many people in the United States and Canada.
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