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Q. It seems that I see more and more woodchucks lately. Yesterday afternoon I drove along Cone Boulevard, and within three blocks I saw three big, healthy looking woodchucks, all within a few feet of the road.

Are their numbers really increasing in our area, and if so, why?

How can I find out — ah, ask a reporter!

— Mike Clark, Greensboro

A. You’re probably seeing more woodchucks, also known as groundhogs, but not because there are more of them, said George Strader, the district wildlife biologist who covers Guilford County for the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission .

“I wouldn’t say that the number of animals is actually increasing,” Strader said. “I just think the proximity of people to them is increasing.”

As Greensboro and other cities spread out, overtaking more open areas and woodlands, expect more sightings, he said.

Strader did not have any data on how many woodchucks make their home in Guilford. The commission doesn’t monitor the woodchuck population.

So, what exactly is a woodchuck? You might also hear them called groundhogs, gophers, whistlepigs or land beavers.

The woodchuck, scientific name Marmota momax , is part of the rodent family. They’re herbivores, meaning they eat vegetation. The name comes from the Cree Indian word “wuchak ,” which was used for several animals of similar description, according to a wildlife commission profile of the animal.

Woodchucks tunnel into the ground to make a warren of burrows where they hibernate in winter.

The combination of burrowing and grazing on greenery often brings them into conflict with humans. Woodchuck burrows can compromise building structures. And without a good fence, usually one with an electrical current to make a stinging point, woodchucks like to partake of gardens, Strader said.

“They can be pretty persistent,” he said. “Especially if you’ve got something out there they really like the taste of.”

And like humans, woodchucks have their celebrities. Perhaps you’ve heard of them?

In Pennsylvania, Punxsutawney Phil has poked his prognostic nose out of the ground every Feb. 2 since 1887 to determine if winter will linger another six weeks.

Canada has its Wiarton Willie .

And Greensboro has “Woody” the groundhog, who makes his home at the Natural Science Center .

— Jennifer Fernandez