How does a groundhog raise offspring?

Groundhogs, or woodchucks, typically give birth to their young in a burrow during the spring after a gestation period of about 31 to 32 days. A mother groundhog usually has a litter of 2 to 6 pups, which are born blind and hairless. She nurses them for about 4 to 6 weeks, during which she stays close to the burrow to protect them from predators. After weaning, the young groundhogs begin to venture outside the burrow, learning to forage for food before becoming fully independent by late summer.