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| Also known as woodchucks, groundhogs are part of the Marmot family (large ground squirrels). |
It is groundhog day in the States today after a hard winter for the Americans, including hurricanes and heavy snow. The famous groundhog, Phil, from the US state of Pennsylvania has emerged from his home and did not see his shadow signalling in an early spring.
The tradition of Groundhog day goes back generations to 1887 and involves the town's elders watching Punxsutawney Phil leave his lair, if he looks to his shadow, then there will be six weeks more cold weather. However, Phil did not look at his shadow this time round so there will be an earlier spring.
Groundhog day was made internationally famous by the 1993 film, groundhog day. This fame has attracted thousands of Americans as well as those from as far a fields as Europe and Australia to see Phil's opinion on the weather.
