Thomas is a groundhog. Well, not any old groundhog, but a friend who’s appeared on my deck for many years. I’m pretty sure that Thomas is the sire of more than one groundhog family. I’ve seen a slightly smaller “Tomasina” and a couple of little Thomas’s periodically over the years. Thomas enjoys a good sunflower seed, and he is the only one who will scatter the squirrels. (They tend to ignore the cat.) Like Punxsutawney Phil, he and his family hibernate in the winter. I recently read an article about English pub workers building tiny huts for wild hedgehogs who, given urbanization, can’t find safe places to hibernate. I wonder, does Thomas have British heritage, or are they two different types of critter?
It turns out they are completely different species. Hedgehogs are of the subfamily Erinacinae and resemble an echidna (one of my favorite scrabble words). Thomas is of the family Sciuridae - once characterized as “fat tree squirrels.” (Personally speaking, I would say something gentler such as blessed with “ample reserves for winter.”) Other names include woodchuck and whistle-pig (per the high pitched whistle they sound in alarm). Most folks consider groundhogs pests because of their burrowing. But there’s plenty of distance between Thomas’s family and mine.
I’m writing about Thomas for two reasons. First, because he has inspired a character a children’s book that I’m writing. He’s portly, but distinguished, and clearly well-versed in the ways of his world. Second, noticing and studying the creatures who share this planet with us is a great way to envision characters in your writing. Although I spent some years in grad school keeping my imagination at bay by not anthropomorphizing, it’s a human trait to do it. As long as we respect the four-legged who share the earth, I imagine they’re ok with us appreciating them enough to study. I’m pretty sure Thomas regals his family with the tale of the human stepping into the water bucket, etc. Seems like a fair trade to me :-)
Photo credit: Dee Stribling Creative.
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