Although they are slow runners, woodchucks are alert and quickly scurry to their dens when approached. Tops of head, face, legs, and tall are dark brown. Sides of the face, nose, chin, and lips are buffy white. Underparts are light buff. Most of body is grizzled brownish, with a cinnamon cast.
Incisors are white.
Immature woodchucks are paler than adults. Occasionally pure white or nearly all black individuals occur. Both sexes are alike in color. In general, the woodchuck seems to prefer to construct its burrow on or near farmland, and occasionally in urban areas, where the combination of food and cover provides a satisfactory habitat. They feed chiefly on vegetation such as alfalfa, clover, grasses, leaves, buds of dandelions, common chickweed, wild onions, plantain, goldenrod, aster, daisies, wild lettuce, blackberries, raspberries arid other wild plants.