Mystery violet-eating creature likely a woodchuck or groundhog -- they're one and the same

on September 20, 2009 at 7:00 AM

It's a woodchuck -- or a groundhog.

Same thing.

That's the consensus of readers who responded regarding the mystery of the "beaver with the fluffy tail," the fast-moving creature that has been busy eating leaves off the violets -- but nothing else -- in our yard and garden.

"The nimble critter that eats leaves off violets is a groundhog. I can say this with certainty because we have one, too," says Marsha Van Lente of Muskegon.

Holes leading to the woodchucks' burrows can present a hazard to horses in pastures.

"Not only has he eaten the leaves off my potted violets, but every single leaf of my sunflowers (none of which I planted, but which sprang up from birdseed).

"Groundhogs have also eaten all the leaves from every milkweed plant in the yard as well as the black-eyed Susan leaves."

Mary Watkins of Ludington agrees with Van Lente's assessment.

"I think your violet eater is none other that Mr. Groundhog or Woodchuck, whichever you prefer.

"This year, one ate all the fuzzy leaves off my cucumber plants. They also like to eat flower buds and are not particular about what plants they eat. They have bushy tails, and I imagine the adult males can get quite large."

According to Carolyn Reed, my description of the animal fills the bill.

"When (my husband) read this week's article, he said to e-mail you and tell you you have a groundhog eating the leaves off your violets. He said your description of the animal is perfect."

A few others, however, think it likely is a badger.

"What you've described is a badger, specifically the North American Badger, Taxidea taxus," says retsailor.

However, retsailor, as well as canoe7bob, are quick to point out that badgers are primarily carnivores.

"As for the violets, I haven't a clue," writes retsailor. "Their diet is principally mice, rats, other rodents, grubs, earthworms and the like."

Reader retsailor suggested I might want to take the tufts of hair that were photographed "and compare them to an old-time shaving brush -- the good ones are made with badger bristles."

My description of the critter as being squarer than a raccoon brought this response from Jean Hume Tomanica:

"Both my husband and I agree (been in the woods for years, U.S. and Canada) sounds like a badger. Square was the giveaway, and they are all attitude, downright nasty and mean."

But based on my glimpse of the creature in our garden and photos I've seen on the Internet, I'm going with woodchuck.

How to stop a woodchuck, however, could be problematic.

"There is not much you can do to keep them out of the yard once they find it," says Mary Watkins. "According to the Internet, they can climb trees to escape from danger, so even if the yard is fenced, they could get in."

A fence doesn't stop the groundhog in Marsha Van Lente's yard, and she doesn't seem to mind.

"He has been quite amusing as we watch him actually climb the chain link fence to nibble on the top leaves of the milkweed."

Another reader, Richard Mead, notes that a woodchuck ate his large-leafed cabbages as well as his tomatoes.

He suggests using a live trap, which costs about $25. He says he used tomatoes to trap his woodchuck, then freed it three miles from his home.

But another reader from Spring Lake Township maintains "you can't live-trap 'em, you've got to shoot 'em."

Since woodchucks are vegetarians, he reasons, why would one enter a trap when vegetation is everywhere?

And if using a firearm is out of the question (or illegal where you live), he recommends hiring an animal control expert.