The Fourth of July has fireworks, Halloween has candy and New Year's Day has its parties but no other U.S. holiday has what Groundhog Day has: animals making predictions on the weather based on criteria as simple as whether or not they've seen their shadow.
No Punxsutawney Phil here: Texas uses armadillo and alligator to predict weather on Groundhog Day
No Punxsutawney Phil here: Texas uses armadillo and alligator to predict weather on Groundhog Day
The biggest celebration of the holiday is in the small Pennsylvania town of Punxsutawney, where a groundhog named Phil has been predicting whether there will be an early spring or six more weeks of winter since the 19th century. Punxsutawney Phil is a national animal celebrity, highlighted by his appearance in the classic movie "Groundhog Day" starring Bill Murray.
On Sunday, Punxsutawney saw his shadow and predicted six more weeks of winter.
But Texans have found their own animal prognosticators in the form of an armadillo in Central Texas and an alligator in Beaumont.
They might not be groundhogs but they follow in the tradition of making predictions about whether or not people should expect an early spring.
Bee Cave Bob
For some in the Central Texas community of Bee Cave, Feb. 2 is known as Armadillo Day. Instead of looking to a groundhog to tell them what weather is coming next, locals gather at West Pole Ranch to watch Bee Cave Bob the armadillo tell them what to expect.
At a chosen time, Bee Cave Bob will be placed down in a select part of the ranch. If he goes and hangs in a sunny area, that means an early spring. If he goes and hangs in the shade, that means a longer winter.
Bee Cave Bob tends to predict early springs. According to groundhog-day.com, Bee Cave Bob has predicted an early spring in 11 of the past 14 years. That includes the past two years.
Sunday's celebration starts at 1 p.m. and includes photo opportunities with Bee Cave Bob, according to Spectrum News.
Gator Country co-owner Arlie Hammonds works with Big Al during an afternoon show for a small crowd of spectators Thursday, Aug. 25, 2022. Gator Country is an alligator and reptile rescue facility in Beaumont, Texas, that houses hundreds of alligators and works with local and state authorities to serve as a sanctuary for nuisance gators.
Kim Brent/Beaumont EnterpriseBig Al
Big Al might not remember the first Groundhog Day but the 93-year-old alligator who lives at Gator Country in Beaumont is older than all but two prognosticators in groundhog-day.com's system: Punxsutawney Phil and Octoraro Orphie, a taxidermied groundhog.
But Big Al hasn't been making predictions for anywhere near as long as Phil, Orphie and other animals. He's introduction to the Groundhog Day scene is a much more recent development, and his process differs from the others who base it on shadows.
Alligators don't eat in cold weather, Gator Country co-owner Gary Saurage told the Beaumont Enterprise last year, because they can't digest food when its cold. So on Feb. 2, Big Al gets tossed some food.
If he eats it, that means spring is coming. If he doesn't eat it, that means a longer winter is on the horizon.
“He’ll tell us when it’s time to start eating,” co-owner Arlie Hammonds told the Enterprise. “He knows.”
People will be able to watch a live stream of the tradition on Gator Country's social media channels at noon.
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