Punxsutawney Phil May Be the Most Famous, but He’s Not the Only Groundhog

For those who are unfamiliar, Groundhog Day is a celebration that takes place each Feb. 2, and it involves having a groundhog forecast the upcoming weather, most notably deciding if we will get an early spring or if winter will continue to linger for the next few weeks.

The tradition has German roots, which is why it's no surprise that the biggest celebration in the U.S. takes place in Pennsylvania, where a number of immigrants settled in the 1700s and 1800s, featuring a more American twist.

That's because settlers opted to switch out the traditional badger in favor of a groundhog, which is how the celebration got its new name. And while most people know Pennsylvania's groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, as the go-to groundhog when it comes to weather reporting, there are actually a few others out there doing the same thing... with decidedly less pomp and circumstance.

Curious to know how many groundhogs there are for Groundhog Day? Keep reading as we explain.

As we mentioned, Pennsylvania has its favorite groundhog: Phil. And while Phil has been at his job for a long time (130 years), he's hardly the only groundhog to answer to that name during the celebration's history. If you consider that groundhogs only live to be about 9 years old, according to CBS News, then you have to assume that there have been at least 14 different groundhogs forecasting the weather in Punxsutawney.

Of course, Punxsutawney isn't the only town with a groundhog that has a passion for meteorology. According to the Groundhog Day website, there were a total of 88 groundhogs making predictions in 2025, and that included 74 American groundhogs and 14 Canadian groundhogs, and they each had fun names like:

• Wiarton Willie in Ontario
• Concord Charlie in West Virginia
• Buckeye Chuck in Ohio
• Melvern Mel in New York
• Lander Lil in Wyoming

Although, the most surprising thing, was the number of alternatives.

According to the website, groundhogs aren't the only ones getting into the weather game. For example, there's Mojave Max, a desert tortoise who checks for his shadow each Feb. 2, as well as Balzac Billy in Canada, who is actually a human in a gopher suit.

In fact, the list of alternative Groundhog Day creatures includes bull frogs, opossums, pekin ducks, yellow-bellied marmots, a large-mouth bass, an allegator, and so many more, highlighting just how creative people have gotten over the years.

While Phil may be the most popular groundhog in February, he's not always the most accurate. According to CBS News, Phil only has an accuracy rate of about 35 percent. That may have something to do with the fact that more often than not, he predicts an extended winter season.

The publication says that Phil has seen his shadow (an indicator of a long winter) 107 times, while he's only called for an early spring 20 times (it's worth noting that there are 10 years of predictions that were lost).

Still, it's pretty hard for a groundhog in Pennsylvania to predict the weather for the rest of the world, but that doesn't mean that it's not a ton of fun to watch him — and all of the other groundhogs, cats, and puppets across the country and in Canada — try to do it each and every year.