Groundhog Day....for the Biologically Impaired

Every February 2, media folks from around the country throng into Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, for the annual appearance of Punxsutawney Phil, the world's most elite groundhog.

Why the big deal? Here's the theory: If Phil sees his shadow, winter will last six more weeks. If he doesn't see his shadow, winter is over and spring is on the way. Riiiiiiiggghhhtt!

But wait a second. Let's take a closer look. What makes Phil see his shadow? Sunshine, naturally. So, why can't we just look out the window and see if it's sunny? Wouldn't that allow us to cut out the the middle rodent, so to speak? Or do groundhogs have some special weather-predicting prowess?

Nope, sorry. The whole thing is nothing more than a tourist attraction. I hate to break it to you, but Phil comes from a zoo. His agent apparently worked out this cushy Groundhog Day gig--one annual appearance in exchange for year-round maintenance and a signing bonus.

So what's really going on? Well, even though groundhogs may not have any special powers, there is still amazing talent on display here. Hibernation...period. When groundhogs come out of their burrows they're not doing it for our benefit, they're checking to see if it's time to stop hibernating.

Not too shabby for a rodent, huh??