Groundhogs are small, ground-dwelling rodents that are found in North and Central America. They are known for their burrowing abilities and for being pests in gardens and yards. But can groundhogs swim?
The answer is yes! They can swim and in fact swim pretty well. Like other related rodents, groundhogs are not afraid of water and are perfectly capable of swimming and even, though more rarely, diving!
Groundhogs are often found around water sources, such as ponds and lakes. This is because they need to drink water to stay hydrated.
They also use water to help keep their fur clean and free of dirt and debris. When groundhogs come into contact with water, they will often shake their bodies to dry off.
It is also been said that groundhogs can hold their breath for up to 5 minutes when they are underwater.
This enables them to stay submerged for a while looking for food or escaping predators. When they come up for air, they will often make a “sneeze” sound to help remove any water from their nostrils.
Even though they are often found near water, groundhogs are not necessarily happy swimmers. If they fall into a body of water that is too deep, they might drown if there is no easy way to get back on land but they do have an instinct (like human babies do!) to hold their breath when underwater.
This is why it is important for them to stick close to the shoreline when they are near water sources and they tend to only spend a short time in the water as they cannot easily run to hide in their burrows!
Why would groundhogs go into the water?
While groundhogs typically avoid water, there are a few reasons why they may go near it or even enter it.
We know that having a water source such as a garden pond attracts groundhogs to backyards.
They mainly like water to:
- Drink
- Find plants or roots
- Escape predators
- Wash (rarely)
One reason why groundhogs may go into the water is to escape predators. Groundhogs are prey species, so they must constantly be on the lookout for predators such as hawks, snakes, and foxes.
If a groundhog sees a predator approaching, it will quickly scurry into its burrow for safety. However, if the predator is blocking the entrance to the burrow, the groundhog may try to escape into the nearest water source and attempt to swim away.
Another reason why groundhogs may enter the water is to find food. Groundhogs are mostly herbivores, and their diet consists of roots, flowers, and other plant material. If the ground is dry and there is no food available, a groundhog may swim to a nearby body of water in search of aquatic plants to eat.
Lastly, groundhogs may go into the water to cool off or bathe. Groundhogs are comfortable in temperatures that range from 60-80 degrees Fahrenheit, but they can overheat if the temperature gets too high. If a groundhog is feeling hot, it may take a dip in a nearby stream or pond to cool down.
Do groundhogs like water?
No, groundhogs associate water with flooding their tunnels so they do not like to be submerged in water. However, they are not very afraid of rain or puddles.
Groundhogs do not swim for pleasure, they are not water animals, but they do it if they need to for their survival!
Groundhogs will not go into the water unless absolutely necessary, but their cousins, the gophers, are sometimes seen swimming around in streams and ponds.
Can groundhogs breathe underwater?
It is a common misconception that groundhogs can breathe underwater. No mammals can breathe underwater, but many can hold their breath for extended periods of time!
In reality, groundhogs can hold their breath for up to five minutes at a time, but they will eventually drown.
This allows them to stay submerged for extended periods of time if necessary as they have fairly low oxygen requirements.
This is also why they can survive in their tunnels without strong air circulation!
Additionally, groundhogs have been known to build burrows that extend into bodies of water, indicating that they are comfortable spending time near or in water. Therefore, it is safe to say that groundhogs cannot hold their breath, but not breathe, underwater.
For how long can groundhogs hold their breath?
Groundhogs can hold their breath for up to five minutes, which means they can stay submerged for a pretty long time.
This is helpful if they need to escape a predator, find food or survive flooding.
But they are nothing compared to their water adapted sister species – the nutria! Apart from having a much smoother, less fluffy, tail, they look pretty much like a scruffy groundhog!
So if you see something like a groundhog swimming, look at the tail to tell if it is a groundhog, a nutria or a beaver! If it is fluffy, it’s a groundhog, if its round and smooth, its a nutria, if it is flat and smooth, its a beaver!
Can you drown a groundhog?
Yes, you can drown a groundhog if it stays in the water for too long. As we mentioned before, groundhogs have lungs, and they need to breathe air. If they stay underwater for more than four minutes, they will start to suffocate and eventually die.
Groundhogs are generally not a threat to humans, but they can be a nuisance if they invade your yard or garden. In some areas, groundhogs are considered pests because they can damage crops and yards by digging their burrows.
Therefore many people would like to get rid of them and one solution is to flood their burrows. But it will not works well, as groundhogs have many strategies to deal with heavy rain and flooding.
They have drainage systems and emergency exits that make drowning them very challenging!
Groundhogs will also eat plants that people are trying to grow. If you have a groundhog problem, there are a few things you can do to get rid of them but also many ways to avoid attracting groundhogs to your yard in the first place!
You can trap them and release them somewhere else, or you can kill them. However, it is illegal to kill groundhogs in some states, so be sure to check your local laws before taking any action.
How to get rid of groundhogs at home?
Instead of killing groundhogs, I would strongly recommend one of the solutions listed below:
1. Motion-activated sprinklers
Like most animals, groundhogs hate surprises, and they will run away if suddenly sprayed with water. I like this solution because it is humane, simple, effective, and does not require much time to set up and there are many models to choose from.
My favorite sprinkler option here is the Havahart 5277.
The Havahart 5277 is a motion-activated sprinkler that is activated by the movement of animals up to 25 feet away and sprays them with a harmless water jet, frightening them off and keeping them at bay.
The included metal stake makes it easy to install in your backyard, and the sprinkler can be rotated 180 degrees for maximum coverage.
2. Ultrasonic Sound Emitters
Groundhogs and groundhogs, as well as other animals that may invade your garden, tend to have very good hearing. This means that loud or consistent noises will scare them away or at least shorten their visits significantly!
One of my favorite technologies to keep pests away from my backyard is these cool solar-powered ultrasonic sound emitters that you can buy right off Amazon! In my experience, they really work, and the solar panels on top save you the time and money of changing batteries all the time.
My favorite ultrasonic emitters. Click to read more at Amazon.
3. Using Lights and Reflections
Groundhogs are nocturnal animals so they may avoid areas that have bright lights. Motion-activated lights, sounds, and sprinklers may help prevent groundhogs from entering your yard.
Placing CDs or tin foil and mirrors around your yard is another cheap and effective way to create light reflections that blind and scare groundhogs.
This may sound a little old-fashioned but it still works! The reflective surface of CDs or tin foil drives groundhogs crazy and will make them seek away from your plants.
You can use old CDs you no longer need or aluminum trays from takeaway containers, just make sure they reflect light well.
If you have a lot of plants to protect this way, it may be a good idea to invest in some commercial mirrors or electronic light emitters like the ones shown above.
4. Build a Fence
The most obvious and practical solution to protecting your plants from groundhogs is to install a fence around the patch. A fence should be at least 2 feet tall and sunk in the ground about 8 inches.
The best fencing material for this purpose is a cattle panel or hog panel as they are very sturdy and can withstand even quadruped animals such as goats, cows, and deer. However, most chicken fencing types will do. This will be strong enough to stop them from getting through while still allowing for airflow and sunlight.
A simple fence like this should work.
If you don’t like the idea of building a fence around your entire onion patch then you can try fencing off only the area that your onions, tomatoes, or zucchinis are in; this will at least keep some of the groundhogs or groundhogs away from them.
5. Using Hot Pepper Or Garlic Spray
This is a good way to protect your vegetable plants or decorative flowers against pests such as groundhogs, rabbits, deer, and groundhogs. It will also protect your backyard against the neighbor’s cat that thinks it is fine to use your vegetable garden as a toilet.
You only need about 1 tablespoon of crushed chili pepper and garlic along with 1 cup of vinegar per half a gallon of water.
Spray this mixture on any exposed parts of the plant until completely covered. Make sure you reapply whenever rain washes away the spray.
You can also buy natural repellants like the one shown here from Amazon. (Click for price).
6. Use Rodent Deterring Companion Plants
Instead of making a tincture out of strongly smelling plants, you can also just plant the plants themselves!
Companion planting is a good way of deterring animals like groundhogs from your garden. You can plant strong-smelling plants such as garlic, basil, lavender, and chives around your favorite vegetables.
These plants will keep rodents like groundhogs, groundhogs, and mice away because they don’t like the smell of these and they mask the smell of the delicious plants.
7. Using Artificial Repellent
You can use some of the commercially available repellents to protect your vegetable plants against groundhogs, groundhogs, and other rodents. You will need to be careful when using these though because some of them can end up harming you and your pets if not applied properly. Some of the commercial groundhog repellents available include Shake-Away, Bonide Repels All, Critter Ridder, and Tom Cate Repellent.
8. Using a Scarecrow
Scarecrows may look a little funny in your garden, but they work surprisingly well. Just make sure your scarecrow is big and scary enough to deter groundhogs from getting anywhere near your tomatoes, zucchini, or backyard flowers! Also, you may need to replace the scarecrow every now and then as groundhogs will get used to it.
A scary owl will help prevent rodents from invading your backyard!
9. Using live traps
Using live traps to catch the groundhog and drive it away to somewhere safe, but far away, is perhaps the best option if you want to get completely rid of groundhogs in your yard!
You can make a trap yourself with some wire and ingenuity…
But, you can also just buy a live trap, as the sturdy metal ones shown here:
A live groundhog trap is a humane way to get permanently rid of groundhogs in your yard.
A version with thick gloves for safe handling.
Conclusion
Groundhogs are small, ground-dwelling rodents that are found in North and Central America. They are known for their burrowing abilities and for being pests in gardens and yards.
Groundhogs may enter the water to escape predators, find food, or cool off. If they stay underwater for more than four minutes, they will start to suffocate and eventually die.
Groundhogs can swim and do in fact swim pretty well. Like other related rodents, groundhogs are not afraid of water and are perfectly capable of swimming and even, though more rarely, diving!
Groundhogs are generally not a threat to humans, but they can be a nuisance if they invade your yard or garden. In some areas, groundhogs are considered pests because they can damage crops and yards by digging their burrows.
