New Official Connecticut Groundhog Introduced At Lutz Museum

MANCHESTER— Connecticut has a new official state groundhog.

The Manchester-based Lutz Children’s Museum Wednesday announced Chuckles XI has been "welcomed" to her position. Chuckles XI and her sister were recently released to the museum from a United Stated Department of Agriculture-certified wildlife rehabilitation facility in the state.

Both groundhogs were deemed "non-releasable" by both the rehabber and the museum's veterinarian, according to Lutz officials.

"A lot of wild rehabbed animals that come to the museum sustained their injury due to human interaction of some sort, so it is important that we try to give back to these animals as much as possible," said Ashley Little, the museum's animal curator.

The name "Chuckles" is the most storied title for the museum's animals. For decades. the Lutz has been the home of the prognosticating groundhog that comes out to make a prediction each year on Groundhog Day.

Chuckles XI has even bonded bonded with another groundhog close to her age so she may even have an assistant, Lutz officials said.

The species is very significant to predict an early spring or late winter. Lutz officials said groundhogs are among the few species of animals that truly hibernate. That is where the tradition of Groundhog Day stems from, Lutz officials said.

After groundhogs hibernate for the winter, they emerge from their dens to decide if they will continue sleeping in for the cold or if it's time to come out and eat, Lutz officials said.

The traditional Groundhog Day in North America originates from an old European tradition of Candlemas. Germans put hedgehogs into the celebration as a way to help predict the weather. When the observance migrated to North America, there were no hedgehogs to be found, so the next best mammal was the groundhog, Lutz officials said.

The Lutz Children's Museum is a USDA-certified facility that only accepts wild animals that are "non-releasable to promote proper care and practice when dealing with wildlife."

To see more, visit: https://lutzmuseum.org/