Fred la marmotte () is a

groundhog The groundhog (''Marmota monax''), also known as the woodchuck, is a rodent of the family Sciuridae, belonging to the group of large ground squirrels known as marmots. A lowland creature of North America, it is found through much of the Easte ...

located in Val-d'Espoir near Percé, Quebec, whose behaviour is used to predict weather on

Groundhog Day Groundhog Day (, , , ; Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia, Lunenburg, Nova Scotia: Daks Day) is a tradition observed regionally in the United States and Canada on February 2 of every year. It derives from the Pennsylvania Dutch superstition that if ...

. Fred is the official groundhog of Quebec for Groundhog Day predictions. The name "Fred la marmotte" is passed to a succession of groundhogs, that are replaced as they retire or die.

Usage of Fred

According to the tradition of Groundhog Day, if the enlisted groundhog sees its

shadow A shadow is a dark area on a surface where light from a light source is blocked by an object. In contrast, shade occupies the three-dimensional volume behind an object with light in front of it. The cross-section of a shadow is a two-dimensio ...

, then spring will be delayed; if it does not see its shadow, then spring will be early. Fred was the only groundhog located on a

World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

to be used for Groundhog Day weather prediction.

Succession of Freds

The original Fred, "Gros Fred" ("Big Fred"; also called "Fred Sénior"), was engaged from 2010 to 2017 and again in 2019; his son "Petit Fred" ("Little Fred") stood in for the 2018 event. The succeeding Fred, son of "Fred Sénior" ("Fred Senior", the original Fred) was found dead on February 2, 2023, coincidentally on Groundhog Day. The next year, a new Fred predicted an early spring.

Usage of Fred

Succession of Freds

Past predictions

References

External links

See also