The Groundhog

Below is an in depth look into the classification of the Groundhog. 

Kingdom: Animalia - multicellular, eukaryotic organisms that consume organic material, breathe oxygen, and are able to move.

Phylum: Chordata - animals that have a notochord, dorsal hollow nerve cord, endostyle or thyroid, pharyngeal slits, and a post-anal tail.

Class: Mammalia -Chordates that have mammary glands that produce milk for feeding young, a neocortex of the brain, fur or hair, and three middle ear bones.

Order: Rodentia - characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and lower jaws.

Family: Sciuridae - includes small or medium-size rodents

Genus: Marmota - These herbivores are active during the summer, when they can often be found in groups, but are not seen during the winter, when they hibernate underground.

Scientific Name: Marmota monax

Common Name: Groundhog 

Pictures from The New York Times and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel