A woodchuck, also known as a groundhog, does not actually chuck wood. The phrase "How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?" is a tongue twister rather than a literal question. However, a wildlife technician named Richard Thomas in 1988 estimated an answer by considering the amount of dirt a woodchuck moves when digging its burrow. He calculated that a woodchuck could chuck approximately 700 pounds of wood if it could chuck wood, based on the volume and weight of soil displaced during burrow construction
. In summary, while woodchucks don't throw wood, the best scientific estimate suggests they could chuck about 700 pounds of wood on a good day if they had the ability to do so.
