North Carolina’s Most Famous Groundhog Won’t Be Replaced

Queen Charlotte, Discovery Place Nature's weather-predicting groundhog who passed away last year, won't be replaced.  That's right -- North Carolina's most famous groundhog won't be replaced.

Queen Charlotte served as weather predictor and ambassador for the museum for eight years.  She died August 16 at nine years old.

Now, the day before Groundhog Day, comes news that a new groundhog will not be installed to make weather predictions for Charlotte and the Carolinas.  But why?

The Charlotte Observer quoted an email from Discovery Place Nature spokesperson Sarah Wheat, who said that there were no plans for "anointing a new Queen Charlotte."  No further information was given about the museum's decision to get out of the groundhog business.

Queen Charlotte's last prediction was Groundhog Day 2021.  If you were one of the lucky few who got to see her in person, you were witness to one of Charlotte's biggest celebrities.  Here's video of Queen Charlotte in action, courtesy of Discovery Nature Charlotte's Facebook page.

In recognition of Queen Charlotte's contributions to meteorology and goodwill, here are some interesting facts about groundhogs:

Groundhog Day is celebrated every year on February 2; the holiday started in 1887 in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. Each year, Punxsutawney Phil makes his prediction about whether we will get an early spring or six more weeks of winter. If he sees his shadow when he comes out of his burrow, that means six more weeks of winter, but if he doesn't see his shadow, an early spring!

Want to see what Phil decides? You can watch him make his prediction this 136th Groundhog Day online here: www.visitpa.com/groundhog-day-live-stream/.

The tradition of Groundhog Day started in Europe as Candlemas Day, clergy would bless and distribute candles needed for winter, which represented how long the winter would be. In the 1700s Germans who settled in Pennsylvania brought the custom to America but selected an animal to predict the weather.

In 1886 a local newspaper first wrote about Groundhog Day, but the first official celebration of Groundhog Day took place in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania on February 2, 1887. A group of businessmen made their way to Gobbler's Knob and formed the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club. Nowadays, every February 2, spectators attend Groundhog Day events in Punxsutawney.

Punxsutawney Phil has seen his shadow ninety-seven times, and has not seen it fifteen times, making his predictions accurate approximately 39% of the time.

Groundhogs grow between eight to twelve pounds and live between six to eight years. They dig burrows for homes that can be anywhere from eight to sixty-six feet long and hibernate in their burrows until February 2nd.

Groundhogs are called “true hibernators” because they can reduce their heartbeat to as little as five beats per minute and drop their body temperature down to 41 degrees Fahrenheit while they hibernate.

When the Germans settled in Pennsylvania they had a hard time finding badgers which they traditionally used on Candlemas Day, so they made the switch the a groundhog.

Phil has a wife named Phyllis and they both live in the town library at Gobbler's Knob.

During the first celebration, The Punxsutawney Groundhog considered the groundhog to be a delicacy, so they ate their namesake.