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Move over, melatonin: Groundhogs' supercharged hibernation hormone

A muskrat sits in the sunlight along the edge of Lake Bemidji.
Contributed
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Steve Patterson via KAXE - KBXE Season Watch Facebook group
A muskrat sits in the sunlight along the edge of Lake Bemidji.

In the Phenology Report for the week of Feb. 3, 2026, Staff Phenologist John Latimer remarks on groundhog hibernation and the aggressive spirit of muskrats and shrews.

What have you seen out there? Let us know: email us at comments@kaxe.org or text us at 218-326-1234.

For more phenology, subscribe to our Season Watch Newsletter and podcast or visit the Season Watch Facebook page.

Funding for this project was provided by the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR).

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Charlie Mitchell (she/they) joined KAXE in February of 2022. Charlie creates the Season Watch Newsletter, produces the Phenology Talkbacks show, coordinates the Phenology in the Classroom program, and writes nature-related stories for KAXE's website. Essentailly, Charlie is John Latimer's faithful sidekick and makes sure all of KAXE's nature/phenology programs find a second life online and in podcast form.<br/><br/><br/>With a background in ecology and evolutionary biology, Charlie enjoys learning a little bit about everything, whether it's plants, mushrooms, or the star-nosed mole. (Fun fact: Moles store fat in their tails, so they don't outgrow their tunnels every time conditions are good.)
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