Other forms: woodchucks
Woodchuck is another name for a groundhog, the chubby rodent commonly found in North America. Some gardeners consider woodchucks to be pests, but they help keep the soil healthy by burrowing.
After groundhog, woodchuck is the most common name for this furry marmot, officially classified as a ground squirrel. Woodchucks have round bodies, short tails, and long teeth, and their underground digging annoys people who love their perfect lawns. All that burrowing is actually helpful, exposing compacted soil to oxygen and bringing nutrients to plant roots, making woodchucks garden heroes. The name comes from the Cree otchek, which describes a different mammal, the weasel-like marten.