# How did Punxsutawney Phil become the official groundhog? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 2, 2006, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-punxsutawney-phil-become-the-official-groundhog/342685 "2006-02-02T17:09:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![FatBaldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecd19e/32.png) [@FatBaldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FatBaldGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2006, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-punxsutawney-phil-become-the-official-groundhog/342685/1 "2006-02-02T17:09:06Z")
Each year at this time the world focuses on Punxsutawney, PA, home of the world’s most famous groundhog. Who decided that Phil would be the official spokesrodent for all groundhogs? Was it just a case of the Punxsutawney Chamber of Commerce promoting their celebration and nobody challenged them, or has there been some kind of official acknowledgement? ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2006, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-punxsutawney-phil-become-the-official-groundhog/342685/2 "2006-02-02T17:20:26Z")
Phil’s juridiction is only the U.S. The offical Canadian meterological rodent is Wireton Willy. ---
**Author:** ![Walter\_Windchill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Walter\_Windchill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walter_Windchill)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2006, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-punxsutawney-phil-become-the-official-groundhog/342685/3 "2006-02-02T17:23:22Z")
I was wondering about that myself. I guess the folks at Punxsutawney started Groundhog Day back in 1887. Thank you, Wikipedia. Hedgehog day, the European holiday, is quite ancient by comparison. But hedgies aren’t indiginous to the US, so the duties were handed off to the dumb rodent. I consider hedgehogs far more intelligent and charismatic, and so I celebrate hedgehog day and ignore the fanfare around the usurper in Pennsylvania. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2006, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-punxsutawney-phil-become-the-official-groundhog/342685/4 "2006-02-02T17:28:01Z")
Wisconsin has the offical groundhog, and PA And us don’t agree on it. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2006, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-punxsutawney-phil-become-the-official-groundhog/342685/5 "2006-02-02T18:13:37Z")
The premise is flawed. There is nothing “official” about Punxsutawney Phil, beyond what the local chamber of commerce would like you to believe. The news media like the story, the the name Punxsutawney in any context just sounds funny. More funny than [Sun Prairie](http://www.boonetown.com/jimmycam/). ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2006, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-punxsutawney-phil-become-the-official-groundhog/342685/6 "2006-02-02T20:22:36Z")
Incidentally, Gus, the second-most-famous groundhog in Pennsylvania, is the official spokesrodent for the PA Lotto. ---
**Author:** ![Cagey\_Drifter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@Cagey\_Drifter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cagey_Drifter)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2006, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-punxsutawney-phil-become-the-official-groundhog/342685/7 "2006-02-02T20:48:08Z")
how old is this groundhog anyway? ---
**Author:** ![Charger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df788c/32.png) [@Charger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charger)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2006, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-punxsutawney-phil-become-the-official-groundhog/342685/8 "2006-02-02T21:15:58Z")
> [@Cagey Drifter](#): > > how old is this groundhog anyway? That’s what I’m wondering. And how many different groundhogs has he been over the years? My theory is that the real Punxsutawney Phil died many years ago (perhaps going over a cliff with Bill Murray) and has been replaced by a look-alike. And his real name is Punxsutawney Paul. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2006, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-punxsutawney-phil-become-the-official-groundhog/342685/9 "2006-02-02T21:29:01Z")
> [@Charger](#): > > And his real name is Punxsutawney Paul. In the last photo I saw, Punxsutawney Paul is barefoot and smoking a cigarette. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2006, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-punxsutawney-phil-become-the-official-groundhog/342685/10 "2006-02-02T21:47:03Z")
> [@FatBaldGuy](#): > > Who decided that Phil would be the official spokesrodent for all groundhogs? Official my hind foot! Here in Georgia we have [General Beauregard Lee](http://www.yellowrivergameranch.com/ghday.htm), who reports an early spring for 2006. With a accuracy rate of 93%, the General is unrivaled in the field of spring prognostication. Why, he even has an official title - ’Georgia’s Official Weather Prognosticator’ - bestowed by the governor, no less. Good thing, too, if you ask me. The more we can keep the governer thinking about groundhogs, the more we can keep him from thinking about draining our pocketbooks. And a mansion! the General has a mansion (forget the price) Does Puxatau…Paxitunn…Paxagunn…Phil have a mansion? [sub]Damn yankee bias in the press.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2006, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-punxsutawney-phil-become-the-official-groundhog/342685/11 "2006-02-02T22:06:12Z")
> [@Bryan Ekers](#): > > Phil’s juridiction is only the U.S. The offical Canadian meterological rodent is Wireton Willy. It’s “[Wiarton](http://maps.google.com/maps?sll=44.754535,-81.142616&sspn=0.105323,0.20153&hl=en&q=wiarton&cid=44754535,-81142616,2261917348402824662&li=lmd&t=m&ll=44.754535,-81.142616&spn=0.105323,0.20153&t=h)”. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2006, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-punxsutawney-phil-become-the-official-groundhog/342685/12 "2006-02-02T22:26:28Z")
> [@Cagey Drifter](#): > > how old is this groundhog anyway? According to the folks in Punxsutawney, the groundhog is over 100 years old, and they feed him a special liquid in order to prolong his life. This probably isn’t true, of course, but it makes a good story. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Swan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@The\_Swan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Swan)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2006, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-punxsutawney-phil-become-the-official-groundhog/342685/13 "2006-02-02T22:35:02Z")
> [@mobo85](#): > > This probably isn’t true, of course… What tipped you off? ---
**Author:** ![aahala](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e4f/32.png) [@aahala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aahala)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2006, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-punxsutawney-phil-become-the-official-groundhog/342685/14 "2006-02-02T22:56:40Z")
Phil was selected as American’s groundhog, first winning the favor of professional judges(Simon, Paula,Randy) and then the viewer callin. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2006, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-punxsutawney-phil-become-the-official-groundhog/342685/15 "2006-02-02T23:43:52Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > It’s “[Wiarton](http://maps.google.com/maps?sll=44.754535,-81.142616&sspn=0.105323,0.20153&hl=en&q=wiarton&cid=44754535,-81142616,2261917348402824662&li=lmd&t=m&ll=44.754535,-81.142616&spn=0.105323,0.20153&t=h)”. 🙂 Well, that explains the surprisingly small number of Google hits I got. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2006, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-punxsutawney-phil-become-the-official-groundhog/342685/16 "2006-02-03T00:14:58Z")
you can declare yourself the top groundhog, if there aren’t any others to say nope. [http://www.groundhogsday.com/groundhogcentral.php](http://www.groundhogsday.com/groundhogcentral.php) has all of the groundhogs listed. find the one nearest you for the proper prediction. ---
**Author:** ![Lips\_Obsession](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bbce88/32.png) [@Lips\_Obsession](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lips_Obsession)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2006, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-punxsutawney-phil-become-the-official-groundhog/342685/17 "2006-02-04T03:06:09Z")
Phil is actually one of 4(I believe) groundhogs that live in the library in downtown Punxy in a glass-encased cage. I think groundhogs only live several years, so they’re rotated every so often. Last time I bothered to go down to the library when I was in Punxy the place where they kept Phil (and the others) looked very much like a giant hampster house… ---
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2006, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-punxsutawney-phil-become-the-official-groundhog/342685/18 "2006-02-04T03:34:49Z")
> [@Doctor Jackson](#): > > With a accuracy rate of 93%, the General is unrivaled in the field of spring prognostication. Why, he even has an official title - ’Georgia’s Official Weather Prognosticator’ - bestowed by the governor, no less. To hell with the Doppler 3000! We got us a rodent! 😃 > [@](#): > > Does Puxatau…Paxitunn…Paxagunn…Phil have a mansion? Perhaps not, but he _does_ has a website that doesn’t error out with a “509 - Bandwidth Limit Exceeded” message on Groundhog’s Day. 🙂 I can just imagine the General’s webmaster furrowing his brow in confusion over the matter: “I don’t get it, boss. The traffic was slow and steady throughout summer and fall, and now suddenly we get this massive spike in activity at the beginning of February? I can’t make heads or tails of this whole situation. Did we get Slashdotted? Is someone trying to hack us? This is just too much for me to handle. I need to get out of here and find some whiskey.” ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2006, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-punxsutawney-phil-become-the-official-groundhog/342685/19 "2006-02-04T10:49:50Z")
> [@mobo85](#): > > According to the folks in Punxsutawney, the groundhog is over 100 years old, and they feed him a special liquid in order to prolong his life. This probably isn’t true, of course, but it makes a good story. “This _ **probably** _ isn’t true” Oh you are so cute… 😃