What animal do you call a whistle pig?
Posted by ScamperPenguin@reddit | AskAnAmerican | View on Reddit | 328 comments
Growing up I always hear and used whistle pig to refer to prairie dogs. Recently I learned that a lot of people use whistle pig to refer to a groundhog. Which animal do you call a whistle pig?
Ok_Buy_9703@reddit
Marmot for me. Prarie dogs are too small.
SummitJunkie7@reddit
I'm open to learning what a whistle pig is!
I am familiar with prairie dogs and groundhogs, which are two different animals, and I've never heard either of them called a whistle pig.
Pirate_Lantern@reddit
I've only heard that named in referrence to Groundhogs.
Amarastargazer@reddit
My husband from PA says it for groundhogs, too. I grew up in NJ and never heard the term before him.
likemy10thaccount@reddit
You mean a woodchuck? š
oneshadeoff@reddit
No that's a marmot
Catalina_Eddie@reddit
Not to mention, keeping an amphibious rodent, for domestic, that ain't legal either.
Bacontoad@reddit
Amphibious rodents distributing pieces of wood is no basis for a system of government.
Head-Passion894@reddit
If I claimed to be emperor just because some moistened bink lobbed a 2x4 at me, they'd have me locked up
ProfessionalCat7640@reddit
On the contrary, the movement and care of the watershed can be quite the bureaucratic issue and who would know better than the amphibious rodent?
HarlequinKOTF@reddit
No that's a gopher
ZestfullyStank@reddit
Also dude, having an aquatic rodent in the city limitsā¦. That aināt legal either
oneshadeoff@reddit
What are you, a fuckin park ranger now?
hobokobo1028@reddit
Woodchuck is closer to the original Native American word, butchered by Europeans of course
ClawhammerJo@reddit
Yep. They give out a loud whistle-like sound when startled
WildBoy-72@reddit
And only on Curious George.
trumpsmellslikcheese@reddit
We have marmots in the high elevation areas of Colorado (generally above treeline), and they're related to groundhogs. They also whistle/chirp, so I've heard some people call them whistlepigs as well.
WowsrsBowsrsTrousrs@reddit
Woodchuck and groundhog are the same, and they are members of the marmot genus. Marmots are part of the ground squirrel family, and ground squirrels are part of the sciuromorpha suborder of order Rodentia.
Your trivia for the day.
Gecko23@reddit
Me too, might be related to the fact they whistle, and that prairie dogs only exist inside zoo enclosures in these parts.
Pirate_Lantern@reddit
I've also only heard that name ON HERE.
We don't have them where I live.
avinaut@reddit
When travelling? CA doesn't have Marmota monax
Pirate_Lantern@reddit
On here actually
JenniferJuniper6@reddit
Iāve never heard it at all.
Pirate_Lantern@reddit
To be fair, I've only heard the name on HERE.
schmatteganai@reddit
because groundhogs do this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bXxNQbYvEM
I don't think prairie dogs whistle
disappointinglyvague@reddit
you got me beat, never heard anyone say whistle pig ever
mydogisatortoise@reddit
Guinea pigs
stripmallbars@reddit
Whistle Pig Whiskey has a pig on the label. Makes no sense now.
MutedAdvisor9414@reddit
Groudhog
astrosergeant@reddit
I've only ever heard it in terms of whiskey, lmao
Top-Nose2659@reddit
I have a bottle of 15 year in the cabinetĀ
SweetandSourCaroline@reddit
same šš
norecordofwrong@reddit
The distillery in VT?
cornlip@reddit
Yup. Itās also where woodchuck cider comes from, which is apparently the same animal and I had no idea a whistle pig wasnāt just whiskey.
byebybuy@reddit
Same lol. Never even occurred to me to consider whether it was an actual animal.
Chickadee831@reddit
Groundhog
Okbrain_456@reddit
Guinea pigs whistle.
5hellback@reddit
The fat guy who whistles while he poops at work.
finalcut@reddit
Bourbon
foozballhead@reddit
I've never heard of a whistle pig
MalevolentAnemone@reddit
Iā¦donāt ?
Zoilo2@reddit
Meriwether Lewis, in his Journals, called prairie dogs barking squirrels.
cohrt@reddit
Nothing. Only whistlepig I know of is a whiskey.
EntertainmentReady48@reddit
Like the whiskey
robrtsmtn@reddit
Groundhog or around here a marmot
Brave_Speaker_8336@reddit
I have never heard of a whistle pig
sleepyj910@reddit
same. There's groundhog/woodchuck and prairie dogs.
Zappagrrl02@reddit
Wait, are groundhogs and woodchucks the same thing?
sleepyj910@reddit
Yes!
Common names for the groundhog include chuck, wood-chuck, groundpig, whistle-pig, whistler, thickwood badger, Canada marmot, monax, moonack, weenusk, red monk,ā land beaver and, among French Canadians in eastern Canada, siffleux. Monax is an Algonquian name of the woodchuck, which means "digger".
The etymology of the name woodchuck is unrelated to wood nor any sense of chucking. It stems from an Algonquian (possibly Narragansett) name for the animal, wuchak.
063anon@reddit
damn goid6 rye
Sooner70@reddit
Only reason I clicked on this thread was to find out WTF a whistle pig was.
That said, I've never actually seen a prairie dog nor a groundhog beyond wildlife shows. Do they whistle?? And what about them draws a comparison to a pig?
txchainsawmedic@reddit
Marmots are called "whistle pigs" Marmots are high alpine dwelling medium size rodents that whistle as a warning to the others that danger may be present
Sooner70@reddit
Now Marmots, I've seen. Never heard them referred to as whistle pigs until now, however.
highlandre@reddit
The prairie dogs around our dog park sound almost like theyāre chirping. My dogs get so excited to see them but they donāt get to chase them. They were found to have the plague in another area of the metro so we stay far away.
MamaPajamaMama@reddit
My previous house had a groundhog living under the shed. Never heard it whistle.
IthurielSpear@reddit
Me neither
Mysterious-Art8838@reddit
Me neither but as of now, my five pound dog. Always looking for more demeaning nicknames. Itās already a long list. š
GiraffesCantSwim@reddit
Same. LOL
LowCress9866@reddit
Whistle pig, I don't have any idea what it would mean, but if i went back in time I've minute and you asked me what a whistle of is I think i would say it's a Prohibition term for a blind pig with advanced warning lookouts
Outrageous-Pin-4664@reddit
He's not in the book, you know.
ScarletDarkstar@reddit
Nor I, and I live around a thriving number of prairie dogs.Ā
shwh1963@reddit
I havenāt heard them callled that either
ScarletDarkstar@reddit
I thought sod poodles was even a stretch when Amarillo named their team.Ā
I grew up with a lot of quirky saying but prairie dogs were just prairie dogs.Ā
Southern-Usual4211@reddit
Same never heard of it
wwhsd@reddit
Iāve never heard the term āwhistle pigā before.
Suppafly@reddit
I've never heard of anything called a whistle pig. Reminds of how the German translation of most animals is something-pig though.
Western-Finding-368@reddit
Whistle pig, woodchuck, and groundhog are all the same animal.
Prestigious-Toe9381@reddit
Itās so easy to google tooā¦no idea why people ask these questions
Cheap_Coffee@reddit
They didn't. Read the OP again.
BirthofRevolution@reddit
Pretty sure they're saying if you Google whistle pig it will tell you it's used to refer to a groundhog, not a prairie dog.
Mental_Freedom_1648@reddit
OP is essentially running a poll to see if they're the only one, not asking for a definition.
BirthofRevolution@reddit
Ok well since it is used to refer to a completely different animal, I'd say there's his answer
Mental_Freedom_1648@reddit
That doesn't mean she is the only person using it that way. Sometimes things are region-specific.
kat_storm13@reddit
They clearly stated they learned the actual answer. They're wondering if other people also thought it was for prairie dogs, or other animals.
And it looks like the majority of people in the comments learned something new today.
Bkwyrme@reddit
And marmot and rockchuck.
sosuhme@reddit
Slightly pedantic, I apologize, but I just looked it up and all groundhogs are marmots, but not all marmots are groundhogs.
Dangerous-Safe-4336@reddit
Yeah. Pretty sure California marmots are not called groundhogs or woodchucks.
Bkwyrme@reddit
It is very regional. Iād never heard rockchuck until I moved to one specific place.
sosuhme@reddit
Right, I mean in the scientific sense. I'm sure there are many colloquial variations.
YogurtclosetWrong268@reddit
Hearing the slope across a lake erupt in whistles when a raptor soars overhead is pretty cool.
Marmot, Groundhog, Woodchuck, Whistle Pig...none of them care what you call them. :-)
Automatic-Raspberry3@reddit
Itās a New England term for a woodchuck. Theyāll whistle when there is danger. Whistle pig whiskey is from VT. Other animal trivia. Porcupine literally means quill pig.
SufficientProject273@reddit
I have never in my life heard that term.
IHSV1855@reddit
Iāve only ever heard whistle pig in reference to whiskey.
Youcants1tw1thus@reddit
I have never heard the term used in New England however, I have a friend from Pennsylvania and thatās how he refers to woodchuck.
DismalTwo973@reddit
I call them rockchucks not whistle pigsĀ
Naturemations_2025@reddit
Honestly never heard the term "whistle pig" used for anything in my life, but that might just be 'cause I'm younger?
sfdsquid@reddit
Having never heard the term, I'd guess a guy who does the wolf whistle at passing women.
Zenthane@reddit
Neither, I've never heard that term before.
Imaginary-Summer-920@reddit
I thought whistle pig was just a bourbon
fook75@reddit
Groundhogs or marmots
ShylokVakarian@reddit
I have never heard this term
GenXer76@reddit
Marmot (Iām in Colorado)
damaged_but_doable@reddit
Spent my whole life in Colorado where we have marmots and prairie dogs.
Prairie dogs sometimes get shortened to "p-dogs" or just "dogs" but never whistle pig. I can't say that I've ever heard anyone call a marmot anything but a marmot (unless you're being precise and call it a "yellow bellied marmot" or ultra precise and call it "Marmota flaviventris.")
karebearofowls@reddit
I've only ever heard that term used for food.
Sans_Seriphim@reddit
I do not use that term for anything. I hear it so rarely I forget it exists.
into_outdoors@reddit
Good luck getting an American who doesn't live around either of these animals to tell you the difference between the two.
ScarletDarkstar@reddit
That's kind of beside the point isn't it? I don't need to live around a polar bear, giraffe, or wolverine to know what they are by name. If I did misidentify the creature I'd still know what the term was meant to indicate.Ā Ā
into_outdoors@reddit
The op literally asked which animal one would refer to as a whistle pig.
How is it beside the point to say that most people wouldn't know the difference between the two?
If just shown a random picture, I wouldn't know the difference.
MostAsk855@reddit
I would say the vast majority of Americans would know the difference between a prairie dog and a woodchuck/groundhog
into_outdoors@reddit
The vast majority of Americans don't know who the vice president is at any given time or what the capital of Iowa is.
The vast majority of Americans can't identify snakes, spiders, trees, etc. correctly.
Show a picture of any three-leafed plant and the vast majority of Americans are going to think it's poison oak or poison Ivy.
The vast majority of Americans think most brown spiders are brown. Recluse and most water snakes are venomous pit vipers.
The vast majority of Americans
Dangerous-Safe-4336@reddit
I'd think most Americans only know groundhogs from the groundhog day celebration in Punxatawney that gets reported on every year. They might also guess that prairie dogs live in the prairie. Whether the average American who doesn't regularly see these animals would know which is which from a picture, say, is pretty doubtful.
Individual-Schemes@reddit
They don't really have that where I'm from (California).
Dangerous-Safe-4336@reddit
California does have marmots. Mostly in the mountains. I suppose they whistle.
Individual-Schemes@reddit
Oh yeah! In Yosemite! I avoid summer crowds so I've actually never seen them. :(
AdelleDeWitt@reddit
None. That's not a teem that I am familiar with at all.
SparkyValentine@reddit
A whistle pig is like a tiny prairie dog, and they make high pitched squeaky noises that sound like theyāre whistling away. My kids used to walk to school on an Air Force base, on a long sidewalk that crossed a field of whistle pigs. We had a little concert every morning and afternoon as they popped up to scold us.
ScamperPenguin@reddit (OP)
My dad is Air Force and I think that is where I first heard it.
friskyburlington@reddit
Groundhogs
Designer-Travel4785@reddit
Woodchucks. They actually whistle occasionally.
PeachCobbler666@reddit
Marmot
oneshadeoff@reddit
(groundhogs are marmots)
PeachCobbler666@reddit
Ah. I've only heard 'whistle pig' in relation to the kind of marmot that lives in rocky, mountainous terrain. Do other the other types of marmot called groundhogs also chirp?
foetusized@reddit
The yellow-bellied marmot, also known as a rock chuck. We also called them whistle pigs, when I worked in Yallowstone. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow-bellied_marmot
draizetrain@reddit
What are you, a park ranger now? (/s)
Environmental-Gap380@reddit
Same.
LiqdPT@reddit
Funny thing. That's where Whistler Mountain outside Vancouver got its name, from the marmot population
InvincibleChutzpah@reddit
A groundhog is a type of marmot. Same, though, I've heard whistle pig for marmots, not prairie dogs.
JustASingleHorn@reddit
Same!
nippleflick1@reddit
Whistle pig, wood chuck, ground hog, and they tasty when young.
Kielbasa_Nunchucka@reddit
groundhog. even google brings it up if you search "whistle pig" (after several links for the whiskey)
oldladylikesflowers@reddit
Iāve never heard that term and Iām 47 years old š
hobokobo1028@reddit
Iāve never heard the term āwhistle pigā
CRO553R@reddit
I'll just sip on my whiskey while you guys hash it out
DineenMattingly@reddit
I've never said - or heard anyone say - "whistle pig" in my life.
donuttrackme@reddit
Never heard of the term. Grew up East Coast, now live on West Coast.
DomineAppleTree@reddit
Whiskey
capsaicinintheeyes@reddit
...what if you sometimes call groundhogs prairie dogs?
elveebee22@reddit
I've never heard this phrase before š
Queer_Advocate@reddit
Prairie dog? When you start to poop but it hasn't hit the water yet.
asphid_jackal@reddit
I've heard of prairie dogs, sure, but I've never heard of a whistle pig before
Queer_Advocate@reddit
Me either!
fringeOdeath@reddit
Never heard that in my life
Adorable_Dust3799@reddit
We don't have any of those here and when i hear whistlr pig i picture a giant gopher type critter that lives in colonies and sets out a watcher that whistles when it sees a coyote or hawk. Which ever that is, the whistle alarm is kinda the point.
focoloconoco@reddit
Bold rye whiskey
BadPom@reddit
Groundhog/woodchuck.
The only reason I know itās called a whistle pig is that botanical garden nearby has it on a fun fact board in the childrenās area.
Majestic-Lie2690@reddit
I have never heard any animal referred to as a whistle pig. I wish I had tho
BookLuvr7@reddit
I don't call any animal a whistle pig. I've never heard that expression in my life and I've lived all over the western US. Prairie dog yes. Whistle pig no.
WowsrsBowsrsTrousrs@reddit
Lots of people use woodchuck, groundhog, and marmot interchangeably, and whistle pig is any of them. I've also heard it used to refer to guinea pigs a couple of times, though I think "shrieking pig" would be a better name for them.
No_Cobbler154@reddit
a WHAT? š
ladytal@reddit
It's a kind of whiskey.
_herbsandspices_@reddit
We called them whistle pigs in SW Idaho; didnāt realize until I was way older that they were the same as groundhogs lol
avinaut@reddit
I'm starting to think Southern Idaho is the ONLY place where something smaller than a marmot is called whistlepig.
Pinko_comie@reddit
Urocitellus mollis (Piute Ground Squirrel) https://idfg.idaho.gov/species/taxa/16824
Pinko_comie@reddit
Carnivorous nasty little buggers. Carry the plague too. https://www.nwnewsnetwork.org/health-and-medicine/2015-05-22/dont-touch-dead-squirrels-in-idaho-they-might-have-plague
Character-Twist-1409@reddit
What is a whistle pig?
MostAsk855@reddit
Itās another name for a groundhog or woodchuckĀ
avinaut@reddit
Or other marmot. Usually. I have heard it used for smaller colonial ground squirrel species, though, in places where other terms for marmots dominate. OP is onto something.
alcurtis727@reddit
My Whiskey
NeverRarelySometimes@reddit
Marmot.
Dick__Marathon@reddit
I'll be honest, the only whistle pig I've ever heard of is a whiskey lol
RedSolez@reddit
Pennsylvania has the world's most famous groundhog, never heard of a whistle pig
LopsidedGrapefruit11@reddit
Never heard anyone call anything a whistle pig, but itās adorable for prairie dogs, which are basically smarter guinea pigs.
bandit1206@reddit
Bourbon??
Thatās the only place Iāve heard that term
Ok_Orchid1004@reddit
Ground hog
bluecifer7@reddit
I never knew a whistle pig was an actual thing, I only know it from bourbon
mrdeesh@reddit
Marmots are the only animal Iāve ever heard called whistle pigs
Iāve never seen/heard a groundhog whistle but every time youāre hiking above tree line itās readily apparent why marmots are called whistle pigs
jedooderotomy@reddit
I've only ever heard it in reference to a Marmot. I'm from Colorado.
Sugah-mama21@reddit
Never heard this term before
Yeegis@reddit
A what?
Riverboated@reddit
Marmot are whistle pigs.
ka1982@reddit
I literally only know it as a rye whiskey brand, although I assumed it was some colluqualism from somewhere.
Necessary-Plankton66@reddit
I've always heard ground squirrels called whistle pigs.
avinaut@reddit
Southern Idahoans will call small ground squirrels "whistlepigs" and the yellow-bellied marmots "rockchucks". Southern Idaho has neither woodchucks (aka groundhogs, the typical Eastern Marmota species) nor prairie dogs (genus Cynomys).
judgingA-holes@reddit
Never heard that term... I also asked the 6 coworkers sitting around me (mostly older than me) and they haven't heard of it either.
Capital-Designer-385@reddit
I thought they were Guinea pigs?
Dad would also tell the dog to stop āwhistle-piggingā when she was looking at him whining and stopping her feet for attention. That feels tangentially relevant
ReferenceCreative510@reddit
Never heard of whistle pigs, I just call them groundhogs.
blondie956@reddit
In Appalachia where I'm from, a "whistle pig" is a common name for the groundhog (woodchuck).
jguerrer@reddit
The only time I've ever heard that term was on some quality Canadian Whisky
nurseunicorn007@reddit
I have heard it used for guinea pigs. In my house, rock chucks are referred to as road rodents.
BinkyDragonlord@reddit
This is the first time in my 47 year old American life that I have ever heard the term "whistle pig."
captainstormy@reddit
The only time I've heard that used is as a nickname for an M60 machine gun from the Vietnam era.
Oktodayithink@reddit
Groundhog, in Pennsylvania
Butitsadryheat2@reddit
Never heard whistle pig before.
TrapperJon@reddit
Groundhog, aka woodchuck in PA and NY. We don't have prairie dogs.
auntiecoagulent@reddit
Groundhog
russki516@reddit
Haha, never heard this before but it's funny
BoardTwoTiers@reddit
To my understanding, whistle pig refers to groundhogs. That being said, the only time I have ever heard the words "whistle pig" coming out of someone's mouth was referring to the whisky brand.
MrDBS@reddit
We call them screech sows.
VinRow@reddit
Today I learned people call animals whistle pigs.
Catalina_Eddie@reddit
GroundhogĀ
biggcb@reddit
I've never heard any animals referred to as a whistle pig.
Player-non-player@reddit
Groundhog was a whistle pig, in Illinois growing up.
MattieShoes@reddit
I've never called an animal a whistle pig in my life.
I know the term refers to an animal. I've never heard it referring to prairie dogs, just marmots.
iceph03nix@reddit
I think I've heard the term once before for groundhogs, but we don't have them around here so not very familiar
SnowblindAlbino@reddit
It's a groundhog or a rock chuck, depending on where you are regionally.
Bluemonogi@reddit
I have never heard anyone say whistle pig ever. I live in the middle of the US.
New_Chapter7365@reddit
Itās a groundhog, also known as a woodchuck. Common terms in Idaho, you go out and shoot whistle pigs for fun (not me personally).
A rockchuck is not a woodchuck or groundhog itās a yellow bellied marmot.
While both the woodchuck and rockchuck are marmots they are not the same species.
Gwtheyrn@reddit
A bottle of whiskey.
Durham1988@reddit
Definitely a groundhog. In Winnie the Pooh they call the whistling guy "Gopher", but it's woodchucks who whistle.
Appropriate-Food1757@reddit
Never heard it in my life
tbodillia@reddit
I've never called any animal a whistle pig and have never heard the term whistle pig.
What AI told me: Groundhogs are primarily called whistle pigs in the Appalachian region and rural areas of the Eastern United States, including West Virginia, Virginia, and the Carolinas.
Puzzleheaded_Math973@reddit
I thought what some folks call ground hogs are whistle pigs.Ā
flying_wrenches@reddit
Itās a regional nickname.
For example, in my region. Or atleast area, coyotes are often referred to as yotes, typically in a āI swear those yotes will not shut upā muttered at anywhere between 10pm-6am
whatsupgrizzlyadams@reddit
I always get a look when I call them "crawl-daddies" or " mudbugs"
flying_wrenches@reddit
Iāve definitely been asked ātf is a yote?ā My fair share of times
whatsupgrizzlyadams@reddit
Ground hog or woodchuck
DjinnaG@reddit
None, this isnāt a term Iāve ever heard before. Maybe if an actual pig had a whistle stuck in its mouth I would call it one, but thatās just not a phrase that anyone would use anywhere Iāve lived (mid-Atlantic and south east)
norecordofwrong@reddit
Marmot.
I learned that in CO people call marmots whistle pigs. It was only later I learned that people called groundhogs/woodchucks whistle pigs. So I always knew marmots as whistle pigs.
Kyle81020@reddit
Groundhog.
NIN10DOXD@reddit
I've only heard of it as the name of a whiskey.
MrTeeWrecks@reddit
Only heard Groundhogs (aka Woodchucks) called that. And I lived in an area where Prairie Dogs outnumbered humans significantly.
getdownheavy@reddit
Here in the northern rockies, Marmots.
It results in places named 'Whistler'.
MountainCrowing@reddit
Iāve only ever heard it used to refer to woodchucks.
DangerousDave303@reddit
Prairie dog or ground hog depending on the location.
Final-Elderberry9162@reddit
Iāve never heard anything called a whistle pig in my life. Iām assuming this is very regional.
CraftFamiliar5243@reddit
I never heard the term Whistle Pig until I moved to the South. This explains it. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/9qwEk3gCugU
Crayshack@reddit
I don't use the term "Whistle Pig." We also don't have Prairie Dogs locally, only Groundhogs.
JoyDVeeve@reddit
Groundhog
TTHS_Ed@reddit
The only Whistle Pig I know of is rye whiskey.
Fantastic-Pop-9122@reddit
Groundhog/woodchuck they are soo loud.
draizetrain@reddit
Iāve never heard anyone call anything a whistle pig. Thatās interesting
RexCelestis@reddit
I've only ever heard the term relating to bourbon. It's an actual creature?
voteblue18@reddit
Iāve never called any animal a whistle pig. Maybe if a pig ever whistled at me I would but that hasnāt happened in almost 50 years.
cathemeralcrone@reddit
A whistle pig is a ground hog. Much fatter and bigger than prairie dogs. There's a huge hole in our hay shed that is their home, but I don't know that I've ever heard them make any noises. They just waddle around snuffling at the ground.
BobFromAnnArbor@reddit
They will occasionally make noise if they feel threatened. Itās a weird sound.
HarlequinKOTF@reddit
Ground hog I guess? Never ever heard whistle pig before.
Drslappybags@reddit
I'm sure it's a varmint of sorts but round here we call it whiskey.
FunkIPA@reddit
I didnāt even know it referred to an animal, I only know the whiskey brand from Vermont.
TheGrandExquisitor@reddit
My grandmother in Tacoma used to call the marmots in the mountains whistle pigs.Ā
Groundhogs are marmots, BTW, so that sort of tracks.Ā
IHaveBoxerDogs@reddit
I donāt call them this, but learned others do. Groundhogs.
TheRateBeerian@reddit
The only whistlepig I know of is the whiskey
sneezhousing@reddit
Groundhog but it's a very little.used term these days most won't know eat it is
UltraShadowArbiter@reddit
Groundhog.
Although, it seems to primarily be the Amish who call them that.
cdsbigsby@reddit
Groundhog.
I had never heard that phrase before, then I worked with a guy from Texas who I learned it from. Now I'm attempting to spread it in Ohio.
brokensharts@reddit
Are prarie dogs and groundhogs not the same thing?
Lojackbel81@reddit
Iāve heard the term used for ground hogs but itās not a name I use. I do use ground hog and wood chuck.
hemibearcuda@reddit
Groundhog. I learned it from my grandpa back in the 70's.
HooksNHaunts@reddit
Groundhogs. They whistle back if you whistle at them.
Kingsolomanhere@reddit
I've never seen so many people who haven't heard of this before. Kind of explains a lot of the responses on this sub.
Yankee_chef_nen@reddit
Iām pretty sure itās a Midwest term, Iād never heard it on the east coast and only learned it about a year ago on Reddit. Seems like itās mostly people that grew up in the Midwest that say theyāve always called them whistle pigs.
tcarlson65@reddit
This was just a trivia question on the Meateater trivia podcast last Wednesday. Woodchucks or groundhogs use several high pitched vocalizations to communicate danger.
Felis_igneus726@reddit
Never heard of anything called a "whistle pig". I call a groundhog a groundhog and a prairie dog a prairie dog.
Yankee_chef_nen@reddit
Well yes because thatās what they are.
Yankee_chef_nen@reddit
I never heard whistle pig until about a year ago on Reddit. Itās a groundhog according to everything Iāve seen on Reddit. Iāve still never heard it used in real life. I think itās primarily a Midwest term.
Iāve lived in 9 eastern states, northern and southern over the last 51 years and like I said only learned some people call groundhogs whistle pigs.
I call the one that lives in my back woods Mr Grumbles because he patrols the edge of the woods grumbling.
No-Profession422@reddit
I very never called any animal that. Never heard of it.
IAFarmLife@reddit
Groundhogs are Whistlepigs because they whistle as an alarm call and hog is in their name. Certain locations also call Prairie Dogs that, but it's wrong.
asexualrhino@reddit
Uh...none as far as I'm aware. Sounds like an old school name for a missile.
IanDOsmond@reddit
Or Cockney rhyming slang.
IanDOsmond@reddit
Probably an old-timey-styled hipster gastropub near a train station, but that's not an animal.
Seriously, though, I have heard the phrase, but didn't know it was supposed to refer to an actual animal.
callmeKiKi1@reddit
I have heard the term, I think in older fiction, but never heard it used. My people came from a part of Texas where there are lots of prairie dogs, and they didnāt call them that, though there were lots of OTHER descriptive words used. š
Outlaw_Josie_Snails@reddit
Interesting. I was gifted a bottle of WhistlePig whiskey. It didn't dawn on me that it was also a colloquial nickname.
I have never heard of this before.
rawbface@reddit
I have never heard of a whistle pig. I have never even said the words "whistle pig" before.
btnzgb@reddit
I have never heard of any animal called a āwhistle pigā
MissBandersnatch2U@reddit
I only heard the phrase recently and in reference to prairie dogs
Char_siu_for_you@reddit
Marmot
Equivalent-Speed-631@reddit
Groundhogs
wieldymouse@reddit
I have never heard of a whistle pig..I'm from Florida.
skicanoesun32@reddit
A whistle pig is the colloquial name for a groundhog/woodchuck
Murderhornet212@reddit
I donāt. Iāve never heard that in my life. It must be regional.
GreenBeanTM@reddit
Never heard the term before
NotDelnor@reddit
My grandpa always called ground hogs that
martsampson@reddit
Groundhogs
Vachic09@reddit
It's not used in my dialect.
Mad-Hettie@reddit
Whistlepigs are groundhogs in Eastern KY!
travelinmatt76@reddit
Never heard of that
airberger@reddit
Groundhogs, not prairie dogs
Rj924@reddit
Curious George taught me that a Whistle Pig is a groundhog.
Grand_Raccoon0923@reddit
It must be a regional term. I have lived from Wisconsin down into Texas and over to Georgia and never heard it.
A scamper penguin though, is like a guinea hen.
Mysterious-Name-3297@reddit
I have never heard of the term whistle pig.
AccountantRadiant351@reddit
I've only heard it for groundhog.
newhappyrainbow@reddit
Ground hog/marmot.
Comfortable-Bike9080@reddit
what the fuck is a whistle pigšš¤£
RingGiver@reddit
Whistlepig is a brand of whiskey. I have never heard the term in any other context.
gdubh@reddit
Iāve lived in multiple areas thick with prairie dogs most of my 50+ years and have never heard this term.
CosyBeluga@reddit
Itās a groundhog specific noise that earned it the name
cmcrich@reddit
The only Whistlepig I know is the whisky.
PokeCaptain@reddit
A what?
-RedRocket-@reddit
I don't call any animals that. I call groundhogs groundhogs.
rustydotpearl@reddit
To me any animal bigger than a shrew and smaller than a moose is a whistle pig. That way I get to say whistle pig more often.
Silent-Attention6685@reddit
Marmot
Current_Poster@reddit
I call *no* animal a whistle pig.
Quirky_Commission_56@reddit
Iāve always referred to them as Prarie Dogs here in Texas.
PlutoniumBoss@reddit
I have heard groundhogs called whistle pigs in Ohio.
NonSupportiveCup@reddit
Groundhog
macoafi@reddit
A what now?
Quix66@reddit
Guinea pig? Donāt they whistle?
ThrowawayMod1989@reddit
Marmot, so basically an highland groundhog. Never heard regular groundhogs referred to that way weirdly enough.
InvincibleChutzpah@reddit
Groundhogs are a species of marmot. Marmota monax
klimekam@reddit
Itās a good whisky. Other than that I donāt know.
Intelligent_Pop1173@reddit
Iāve never heard that term! We have a lot of groundhogs in New York and another common term for them is woodchuck. They do whistle so itās entirely possible this is a nickname Iāve just never heard of.
InvincibleChutzpah@reddit
Whistle pig is a west coast and mountain state nickname for marmots. Groundhogs, a species of marmot, don't live on that half of the US. However the nickname extends to all marmots as they look similar.
-blundertaker-@reddit
The only whistlepig I know is whiskey
goblin_hipster@reddit
Groundhog. They actually do whistle! I came upon some babies in the grass once. One of them ran away but one was still snuffling around. The other one whistled and its sibling ran for cover.
Rockerstar33@reddit
Iāve always heard it used for groundhogs, never prairie dogs
Traveller7142@reddit
Marmot
Scrappy_The_Crow@reddit
Groundhog.
Groundhogs can be pig-like in body. Prairie dogs aren't pig-like in body.
No_Tamanegi@reddit
I used to go to a pub called the Pig & Whistle. Does that count?
RedIsAwesome@reddit
I'll allow it
Remarkable_Pie_1353@reddit
Groundhog here in Midwest USA. Marmot in the western US I think.
burlingk@reddit
This is my first time hearing that term.
Cheap_Coffee@reddit
I don't know of any animals called whistle pigs. Where did you hear the term?
IconoclastExplosive@reddit
The fuck is a whistle pig
DooficusIdjit@reddit
Never heard of that. Groundhogs are groundhogs. Prairie dogs are prairie dogs.
No_Salad_8766@reddit
I call nothing a whistle pig. Never heard of it before now.
enemydarksock@reddit
Never heard it before but if you didnāt say what it was in the post Iād probably think you were referring to a guinea pig lol
bren3669@reddit
i donāt.
MakeStupidHurtAgain@reddit
A groundhog (or a woodchuck). We, um, donāt have prairie dogs in the places Iāve lived where the term whistlepig is used.
Also now I want some rye whiskey.
LHCThor@reddit
Only in reference to a whiskey
Smart_Engine_3331@reddit
American: Ive never heard of this. May be a regional thing.
babassu_seeds@reddit
I do not call any animal a whistle pig, but I'm intrigued
dopefiendeddie@reddit
Based on your description, āwhistle pigā sounds like a very Great Plains phrase.
Chumptopia@reddit
This would be a great trivia question.
SonnySmilez@reddit
Groundhog.
DanteRuneclaw@reddit
I have never in half a century called any animal that or heard anyone else do so.
Queasy-Flan2229@reddit
No such thing as a whistle pig around here
Angsty_Potatos@reddit
Ground hog
Channel_Huge@reddit
Um⦠lived in the U.S. my whole life and never heard of a āWhistle Pig.ā š·
ladybugseattle@reddit
The marmots among the rocks above the tree line on the Pacific crest trail. You hear them before you see them. Some are pretty friendly little snack beggars. But actually feeding a wild animal is wrong, and I never did it, I swear. Yes there can be bears around too.
_Smedette_@reddit
Groundhog. But I call them Groundhogs - learned about āwhistle pigā much later in life.
Simpawknits@reddit
Ive never heard that
TutorNo8896@reddit
Marmots, kind of an alpine groundhog shaped fluffball, but smaller. They make whistle noises.
AstuteCouch87@reddit
a whiskey
Phoenix_Court@reddit
Never heard the phrase whistle pig before
anneofgraygardens@reddit
Nothing. never heard this term before now.Ā
Lostinthestarscape@reddit
If youve heard a groundhog, whistle pig makes sense.
Prairie dogs don't make as much sense because it don't think they squeal the same way and they are skinny and not rotund like groundhogs.Ā
ALLoftheFancyPants@reddit
Groundhogs definitely make whistling sounds.
QuinceDaPence@reddit
The only place I've heard it was Arkansas in reference to woodchucks
Wetald@reddit
Whistle pig is a ground hog. Sod poodle is a prairie dog.
Ok_Entrepreneur_8509@reddit
I have only heard this used to refer to marmots.
Alpacazappa@reddit
Woodchuck aka groundhog.
insertcaffeine@reddit
I have never heard that term in my life. We donāt have groundhogs in Colorado, only prairie dogs.
Current_Mongoose_844@reddit
I just got back from Colorado. Cute little critters
Current_Mongoose_844@reddit
I've never heard that term in my life
Clean-Turnip5971@reddit
Ground hog.
seancbo@reddit
I've never heard of the term whistle pig in my life, but now I want to use it as much as possible
Cooperjb15@reddit
Never heard of that term
SmallBeanKatherine@reddit
I've never heard of a whistle pig
BlackQuartzSphinx_@reddit
I can't actually say I've ever heard the term at all