WOODCHUCK, the vernacular name of the common North American representative of the marmots (see Marmot), scientifically known as Arctomys monax. The typical race of this species ranges from New York to Georgia and westward to the Dakotas, but it is represented by a second and darker race in Labrador, and by a third in Canada; while several other North American species have been named. The ordinary woodchuck measures about 18 in. in length, of which the tail forms a third. In colour it is usually brownish black above, with the nose, chin, cheeks and throat tending to whitish, and the under parts brownish chestnut; while the feet and tail are black and blackish. Like other marmots it is a burrower.