Woodchuck (Groundhog) Scat and Tracks: How to Identify Them (Marmota monax)

Rodent droppings are small and dark; shape and size are the first cut (rice-grain with pointed ends for mice, blunt and larger for rats, oval pellets for squirrels and voles). Tracks show four toes on the front foot and five on the hind, and most rodents bound, so the larger hind prints land ahead of the front prints. Gnaw marks with paired incisor grooves are often the clearest sign. The measurements below for Woodchuck (Groundhog) are quoted from the wildlife agencies linked at the bottom of the page.

• Where: Woodchucks defecate in an underground "toilet chamber"; droppings found above ground are not from a woodchuck

• Front: Tracks about 1.5 inches long
• Hind: Tracks about 1.5 inches long (front and hind not measured separately)
• Toes: 4 toes on the front foot, 5 toes on the hind foot
• Gait: Track spacing about 4 inches while walking, up to 12 inches while running

• Burrow entrance with a dirt mound: The main burrow entrance is usually 10-12 inches wide with a pile of excavated dirt beside it; other entrances are dug from below and have no dirt pile

The Woodchuck is one of four "ground squirrels" in Illinois, in the same group as chipmunks, the Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel, and Franklin's Ground Squirrel, but noticeably larger The Eastern Chipmunk page has its own sign list.

Put something of known size next to it (a coin, a pen, a boot) and shoot straight down in soft light; low side light brings out the shape of tracks in mud or snow. For scat, photograph the whole deposit and one close-up showing contents. Note where it was: on a log, in the open, on a trail, near water. The app suggests the likely animal; confirm with the size and shape notes above.