Groundhogs in New York City?!
 

This is going to sound like a strange question, but I'm from Australia and I've always wanted to see a groundhog.

I am visiting NY from 13th December 2008 to 4th January.

Can anyone tell me if there are groundhogs at the Bronx Zoo? I know that Staten Island Zoo has a groundhog named Chuck, but I don't know if he will be 'available' during the dates I'm there...

I'm sure the Bronx Zoo has groundhogs but you might check the Zoo website to see. The webaddress is www.bronxzoo.com

They also have a few meercats, love those.

The Queens Zoo specializes in American animals. I don't know if they have groundhogs, but they do have prairie dogs, a gregarious close cousin.

At that time of year they are usually hibernating (n the wild in that part of the country). I don't know how zoos deal with hibernation of smaller animals - whether they let them hibernate or if they keep them in a warm enough area that they don't need to. If it's a deal-breaker, you might want to email the zoo...

The zoo in Staten Island definately has a ground hog. I would think you will able to see them in the summer, but you never know.

I checked the site for both the Central Park zoo and the Bronx Zoo and neither list a groundhog (woodchuck) on their list of animals.

Getting to the Staten Island zoo might be a bit of a challenge as you'll need to take a bus once on Staten Island. (Alternatively, spring for a car service once at the ferry terminal.)

But while you're searching for groundhogs, don't overlook the Mole People. http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...amp;tid=100608

;)

At that time of year, even the ones in zoos might be asleep; you might have to settle for seeing a stuffed one at the ANHM.

You can check the web site but I'm not aware that either the Central Park or Bronx zoos have ground hogs (it would be sort of like their having squirrels or rabbits - they're everywhere in the suburbs - no need to see them in a zoo).

There are probably some wild in Central Park (we've even had coyotes there) but you would never find one.

Frankly they're extremely uninteresting animals - just fat little blobs that sit around eating grass and then hibernate. Not even cute like rabbits. And that time of year they will be hibernating. (When they drag them out in Feb for the predictions they can be quite cranky at being awakened.)

Do check out the web site of the Queens zoo - but realize it is a trek - and I think you'll be disappointed.

Gardyloo - that mole people thread is my favorite fodor's thread of all time - I remember falling off my chair the first time I read it - it is brilliant.

"Frankly they're extremely uninteresting animals - just fat little blobs that sit around eating grass and then hibernate. Not even cute like rabbits."

To each his own, but I like groundhogs. They're amazingly fast on their feet for all their fat -- sort of like John Goodman. And I like it that you almost never seen them with other groundhogs. It takes character to live alone.

You can come to my backyard! We spotted one yesterday - I think it's living underneath our neighbor's shack. We only live 4 hours from NYC.

My sister can see plenty of groundhogs spending time together . . . for the second summer in a row a family has taken up residence under her pool deck. They hang out around the pool, protected from local dogs by the pool fence, shredding the outdoor carpeting to use for nesting material. She hopes never to see another one again.

I'd bet a million dollars that Central Park has wild woodchucks! LOL. Just look around for holes underneath bushes or right out in the grass. They are there I'm certain!

If you ignore the tail, a big New York rat kind of looks like a groundhog.

As we were walking from the PATH subway station into the Liberty Harbor Marina and RV park in Jersey City, my daughter said, "Look, a bunny!" The very first thought that flew into my head was, "OMG, she does know what a rata looks like, doesn't she?" Well, she does know the difference and it really was a bunny; we saw them several more times during our stay.

Central Park is an amazing place, with just about every bird and small beast that is found in that part of the country; the area known as Hallett Nature Sanctuary, which you can visit only via a guided tour, is a good bet for your four-legged quest.

The OP is coming in the winter - so he won;t see any - they would be hibernating. If he came in summer and spent enough time in Central Park at dusk he might see one.

I have never seen a groundhog but the Prairie Dogs that live just north of Dallas are really cute. Fun to watch... maybe a little like Meerkats.
There is a colony just north of Wichita Falls, on the Oklahoma border.
We always take a pitstop there (on the way to Ft Sill) to have a look at the dogs.

It would not surprise me at all if they have Prairie Dogs at the zoo.
They have armadillos, jack rabbits and rattlesnakes which are WAY more common!

"The OP is coming in the winter..."

Oops. I didn't notice that.

Thanks everyone. I've actually visited Staten Island Zoo before, in September 2005, but it was of course the wrong season. We did see the beautiful prairie dogs though, and some rock hyrax.

I emailed Staten Island Zoo a few weeks ago and never got a reply :(
They probably thought it was a joke!

Anyway, we'll be going to the Bronx Zoo regardless. And maybe we'll spot a groundhog or two in Central Park?!

Thanks again

September would be the right season. Around here, animals that hibernate are unavailable from December thru February.