Shy Gopher Is Too Curious To Resist The Camera

Groundhogs are one of the shyest animals on earth. They spend a great deal of their day grazing, eating grass and flowers, but they are always ready to run for their burrow at the slightest sound or at the sight of anything moving. We see them from afar but we rarely get a close up look at them.

It turns out that they are also one of the most adorable animals on earth. It's not often that we get to see their inquisitive eyes or their furry, round faces close up. It's even more rare that we get a look from so close that we can see every detail of their nose and teeth.

This little fellow was at the edge of his hole one spring day when the sun was shining and the birds were singing. A camera positioned quietly at the opening of his den caught him on video as he looked out at the world around his hole. He saw the camera and decided he wanted to get a closer look, as well as a sniff. Although he was timid, curiosity got the better of him and he inched closer and closer until he actually bonked his nose on the camera. He obviously wasn't too worried about it as he came out of his hole and began munching on the grass.

Groundhogs, often referred to as gophers are actually much larger and can weigh as much as 13 pounds. Groundhogs belong to the same family as squirrels. They have complex burrow systems that are carefully constructed. No wonder we see them disappear into a hole and then appear again in another part of a field.

Groundhogs eat almost constantly in an effort to store up fat for their winter hibernation. They do not stock up on food in their burrows like their cousin, the gopher does.