Is the groundhog a Scot?

[macwilkin]

I thought that the English based their folklore on the hedgehog. The hedgehog, being an insectivore, would become more active with the onset of warmer weather (because its food would be more active too). So if you saw a hedgehog, Spring was coming.

Chipmunks and woodchucks, being true hibernators, are somewhat good indicators. Hadn't heard wolves before - doesn't make sense from a biological standpoint, as wolves aren't even false hibernators.

Apologies for not providing enough detail on the wolves -- one source I read this morning made the claim that if wolves returned to their lairs on Candlemass, it was a sign that severe weather would continue for another 40 days.

No doubt English folklore played a strong role in the story as well.

In the Ozarks, Groundhog Day was originally celebrated on Feb. 14th, according to noted folklorist Vance Randolph.

Regards,

Todd

[piperdbh]

I heard on PBS last night that the reason for this "seeing/not seeing a shadow" stuff has to do with the clouds. Really.
If there are no clouds to block the sun's rays and seal in heat, then the cold of winter will continue.
If there ARE clouds, which block out the sunlight but trap heat, then warmer weather is on its way.

What if one of those non-hibernating wolves eats the groundhog, and Turpin makes a sporran out of its hide? What happens then?