Groundhogs are most famous for predicting how long winter will last and making underground tunnels with mounds of dirt littering your well-manicured yard. We rarely see them enjoying a little family time in the backyard.

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But, that is exactly what is happening in this video I found on Viral Hog. A family in Morgantown, Indiana fed an absolutely adorable baby groundhog in their backyard and my heart is melting.

Here is what the family had to say about Stewie,

Stewie is 8 weeks old in this video, eating whole veggies, which was new for her. I would provide her with many options not knowing what she would eat or like. Here she is showing that broccoli was a must on the menu moving forward! This video was taken outside of her first attempt at a burrow, located under our steps in the front of the house. You can see how she trusts me to pet her while she eats, starting at a very young age.


Can you domesticate a wild groundhog?

Watching the video, I was amazed that the groundhog let them pet her. I've rarely seen a groundhog above ground, no less eating out of a bowl and letting me get close enough to pet.

So, can they be domesticated and even trained?

Even so, some states ban having rodents, such as a groundhog, as a pet. Check your state's guidelines and pet restrictions before you try to train a groundhog to be your family pet.

Three things that might surprise you about groundhogs?

According to blogs.scentificamerican.com,

Look up! Though they spend most of their time on or under the ground, groundhogs can also climb trees.

-  Eskimo kisses. Groundhogs greet each other with an odd variation of the Eskimo kiss: one groundhog approaches and touches his or her nose to the mouth of the second groundhog. Or, as scientists call it, they make "naso-oral contact."

- Sometimes called 'Whistle Pigs.' The name whistle-pig comes from the fact that, when alarmed, a groundhog will emit a high-pitched whistle as a warning to the rest of his or her colony.

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