Dr phil personality test what animal are you

Animal in You

Over

20 million people have taken The Animal In You Personality Test!

There’s a reason so many human cultures ponder the question, ” What animal am I?” You’ve probably wondered yourself. Native Americans asked, ” What is my spirit animal?” and went to find their guardian in the forest, while Asian cultures relied on the animal zodiac and Europeans turned to astrology.

How can you determine your inner animal? Fortunately it’s 2018, so you don’t have to venture into the woods to find your spirit animal or decipher ancient star charts. The Animal in You fuses ancient traditions with modern psychological and biological concepts and its nine question personality quiz has almost fifty possible animal results. It’s eerily accurate, and best of all… it’s free!

Are you a wolf personality, intimidating yet misunderstood? Or do you have the characteristics of a fox, a canine with a different survival strategy? You might have the attributes of a lion or tiger personality, or you may not be a carnivore at all. In fact, herbivorous personalities like deer, bison and sheep are far more numerous in the human zoo. If you’re extroverted and flirty you might be one of seven bird personalities, or perhaps an aquatic mammal like a dolphin or otter.

Ready to find your Animal Personality? Answer the questions honestly and the quiz will build a mathematical model of your personality and match it to our database of animal profiles.

This personality test is based on the bestselling books, The Animal in You and Animal Attraction by Roy Feinson. Roy is also the creator of The Secret Universe of Names, which theorizes that the sounds in our names subconsciously influence how others perceive us.

What

others are saying

"I took the test; I was a tiger. I'm able to read people's motivations and assess situations quickly."

Dr. Phil McGraw

"This test is amazing! It pegged me perfectly. I had a feeling I was an eagle."

Sharon Osbourne

"A truly insightful personality test based on a novel psychological idea. "

CNN

"I am not a badger!"

Robin McGraw (Dr. Phil's Wife)

"Yes you are!"

Dr. Phil McGraw

Why Do People's Personalities Resemble Animals?

Have you ever noticed that people tend to assume animal personalities? We talk of someone being a bear of a man or someone acting like a dog. People we don’t care for are weasels, sloths, or vultures. Why is there such a strong correlation between human and animal behavior? Are these connections coincidental, or is there a more simple explanation? A clue lies in nature’s need for diversity.

In a process known as parallel evolution, unrelated animal species, separated by vast distances, exhibit the same behavioral and physical characteristics. Isolated from the mainland for thousands of years, the extinct Tasmanian wolf, or thylacine, evolved numerous features similar to the North American wolf. Although it was a marsupial, its doglike body, coughing bark, and canine hunting behavior closely parallel that of wolf society, even though they have markedly different ancestries.

The fact is, an ecosystem without a robust number of species cannot successfully maintain itself. The food web requires the interaction of predators, prey, burrowing creatures, arboreal animals, and insects to remain stable, which is why every ecosystem has approximately 50 types of similar species that take advantage of the various food niches. A similar process has taken place in human society. Our species dominates the planet and is an ecosystem unto itself. The variety of attributes that provide stability in the animal world — aggression, passivity, stealth, skittishness, etc. — serve the same functions in our own society. It is no coincidence, therefore, that we mimic these animal behaviors to better survive in a complex and competitive world.

The Four

F's of Animal Personalities

F i g h t i n g

Fighting is equivalent to the way in which we try and control our environment. Carnivorous personalities are assertive and aggressive, while herbivore personalities tend to be passive and cautious.

F l e e i n g

Fleeing is how people protect themselves from each other. Herd animal personalities find refuge in the company of friends and family, wolves prefer tightly knit social groups, and mice personalities prefer to keep a low profile.

F e e d i n g

Feeding techniques translate into the careers that corresponding human personalities would choose. Bird personalities, for example, prefer jobs that provide a great deal of freedom, while sheep might flourish under the direction of a strong dog personality. Canine personalities like the wolf, dog and fox instinctively understand hierarchy, while bear personas chafe under the direction of authority.

S e x

Sex describes the ways we seek mates. From the brutal strength posture of the zebra to the seductive display of peacocks, all creatures strive to exert control over their reproductive choices. Some animal species -- like the beaver and many birds -- mate for life while others, like the tiger, are solitary and rarely monogamous. Every animal personality uses a distinctive set of subtle body language to stake its claim.

Animal Personalities in Culture

Chinese Zodiac
Recognition of the intimate connections between animals and humans dates back tens of thousands of years. The ancient Chinese developed a distinctive calendar system that described twelve animal personalities: Rat, Tiger, Rabbit, Ox, Dragon, Rooster, Snake, Horse, Ram, Pig, Dog, and Monkey. While the precise origins of these animals are unknown, Chinese astrologers considered them to be a reflection of the universe itself.

Native American Beliefs
Native Americans also recognized the intractable bond between humans and animals. For many young men, trekking into the forest to find their spirit animal was a rite of passage. Reverence for animals was almost universal among the Plains Indians, who dedicated a great deal of energy to paying tribute to their companions of the prairies. Spiritual beliefs were formed in large part by their close survival bonds with North American wildlife. Bison were not viewed simply as a food source but were recognized to be an essential element in the grand scheme.

Contemporary Literature
There is a great deal of writing found in contemporary sources that reflects our connections to animals with rich references in language. We refer to people as being bitchy, foxy, slothful, and catty. People work like horses, eat like pigs, and are as stubborn as mules. George Orwell's classic Animal Farm explored this idea to its limits, and animal characters dominate comic pages. The Pulitzer Prize winning Maus, by Art Spiegelman, detailed his father's concentration camp experiences and used animal personalities to depict the drama of the Nazi atrocities; mice were used to portray victims, cats to represent the Germans, frogs the French, and pigs to describe the Poles.

Relationships between Animal Personalities

For an ecosystem to remain stable, it must contain a wide diversity of species. It is also important that the ratio of these species is balanced, since an overabundance of predators could wreak havoc on the ecosystem. If predators were not present at all, then prey animals would overpopulate the environment causing overgrazing and disease. Interestingly, the ratio between predators and prey in nature seems to be mirrored in our own society. Larger animal personalities like elephants, giraffes, and gorillas cannot be supported in large numbers since their bulky personalities put a disproportional stress on the social environment. Conversely, smaller personalities like mice, otters, beavers, and sheep are found in great numbers throughout the concrete jungle.

The ratio of predators to prey in human society is maintained through a process of social pressure. Consider the artificial environment of prisons. In these overcrowded inhospitable conditions, someone who was previously a combative warthog might be unable to survive in a society dominated by crocodiles and lions. By backing away from his assertive stance and manifesting the more gregarious personality of a herbivore, this prisoner can seek the protection of the herd in order to survive. Carnivorous personalities are territorial and require more personal space than their herbivorous counterparts.

Courtship Rituals

From the subtle and coy techniques of the mouse and cottontail personalities, to the aggressive displays of the lion and wolf, every species employs a unique mating strategy. These sorts of behaviors come naturally to us and a visit to a public park quickly reveals our animal personalities in action. Young girls walk by, often arm in arm, pretending not to notice the watching boys displaying their own mating behavior. Some boys adopt masculine stances, lounging around with their legs apart, calling aggressively to the females. Others will feign disinterest and use subtle body language and eye contact to stake their claims.

A male wolf personality might pursue a female sable by first surrounding himself with friends for moral support and then carefully and indirectly approaching the female. If comfortable with these advances, the female will display her interest by moving slowly away from the pack—taking care not to withdraw too far. As the male continues his hunt, she will turn and cautiously engage the group. This stalking approach is not for the male weasel. To seduce a female warthog personality he must first gain the trust of this cantankerous lady by hiding his true intentions with a small gift or an offer of friendship. If successfully swayed by these advances, the female warthog soon finds herself lured into an uncomfortably unbalanced relationship with the wily weasel.
The rules that govern our mating behaviors are instinctive and deeply rooted. In a number of mammalian species, when males reach middle age they respond to a biological realization that they are no longer in their prime. Aging silverback gorillas can no longer compete physically or sexually with the upcoming group of younger males, and in a biological panic, their reproductive urges trigger them to make one last fling at mating with younger, more fertile females. In humans, this manifests itself when a middle-aged man suddenly feels the urge to display his wealth by buying a fancy sports car, begins ignoring his wife, and starts a workout routine. This middle-life crisis is simply one example of our response to animal programming.

Animal Magnetism

Fortunately, we humans have the ability to control our own behaviors and are not complete slaves to these drives. Still, it is useful to understand our passions in the light of these powerful animal urges. When a wildcat and a fox get together, they have superficial connections with a common range and nocturnal spirit. However, as a canine, the fox is a natural competitor of the cat and its natural friendliness grates against the cat's tendency to maintain its distance. Over time these tensions conspire to destroy the relationship. Likewise, if a mouse personality married a cat, power conflicts or spousal abuse would quickly destroy the union.

So, all animal personalities should avoid forming close relationships with their species' natural predator. However, this does not mean that all herbivorous personalities must avoid predators. The meek cottontail rabbit might even strike up a friendship with a powerful lion, since lions are disinclined to waste energy chasing elusive, low-calorie rabbits. Although marriage is out of the question, these friendships can be quite enduring. In exchange for companionship and loyalty, the predator provides resources and protection for the cottontail. Animal personalities tend to relate to species that share their ranges. The water personality of the dolphin has much in common with the aquatic sea lion and the pastoral nature of the sheep makes for a compatible mate with the grazing deer. Conversely, animal personalities that live in markedly different environments tend to avoid each other. Birds choose to remain out of reach of the land mammal personalities and the unencumbered lives of the sea dwellers make them awkward mates for complex land creatures. On the other hand, the semi-aquatic beaver is capable of forming relationships with both water-going and land-based animal personalities.

Why Ask What Animal Am I?

Personality quizzes have been around since the 1920s and were originally designed to help businesses select personnel for the US military. In 1995, Roy Feinson published the bestselling book, The Animal in You (St. Martin’s), based on the hypothesis that humans adopt a set of behavioral and personality traits to allow them to function in their particular environments.

The book spawned a sequel, Animal Attraction, and popular books by other authors like, The Experiment of Professor Polgas (Brownlee) The fact is, humans are just like animals – albeit with much larger brains — and animals are just like people in that they exhibit virtually the same range of emotions. So asking “what animal am I” is a natural extension of asking yourself “who am I?”… the most basic question known to man.

Animal in You

Lion Characteristics: Large • Powerful • Good looking • Compelling • Courageous• Tyrannical
Scientific Name: Panthera leo
Collective Term: A pride of lions

The Regal Lion

"I was not the lion, but it fell to me to give the lion's roar. " Winston Churchill

The lion personality has an unmistakable presence of nobility. Moving with the unruffled calm of a cat and the dignified gait of someone in command, lions have no need to walk or talk quickly since they're never in danger of being ignored or marginalized. Every now and then, the lion will play to its gruff reputation by dramatically reprimanding a subordinate or impulsively making love to its partner with unsheathed claws, but underneath all that hissing and scratching, it's still a pussycat at heart.

Lion Personalities Have Few Competitors

Lions usurp a disproportional amount of resources with their extravagant lifestyles, and because of their voracious appetites society cannot support a great number of them.

Energetic and strong, lions respect strength in others and have no time for subtlety. Their moods are demonstrated with abandon, from yawning in public to growling at impudent inferiors, and they feel no need to follow social etiquette. They're always the first to complain about bad food or service in a restaurant, but are fair-minded and equitable and are often called to settle disputes of others.

When a lion is hired into a new job, things immediately begin to change. New alliances are forged and old rules are thrown out without regard for the feelings of others. In short order, there is a new sense of direction and a tangible sense of confidence percolating throughout the organization. Perhaps because of their powerful personalities lions are not detail oriented, for the minutia of the mundane irritates the lion. It prefers to concentrate on the bigger picture, expecting its mate to do the 'trivial' tasks of shopping, housekeeping and childrearing.

The Lion’s Career

In business the lion prefers to surround itself with animals beneath it in the food chain, offering leadership, strength and protection in exchange for loyalty and hard work. Realizing that its survival depends on these animals, it is protective and possessive with its employees, but at the end of the day insists on taking the lion's share of the profits.

Lions are aggressive, predictable and dependable. Others always know where they stand with a lion, and their confidence and leadership abilities make them successful CEOs, company presidents, judges or lion tamers.

Lions in the Wild

With the exception of the tiger, the lion is the largest member of the cat family and commands enormous respect wherever it is found. Lions were once common throughout Southern Europe, Asia, and the whole of Africa, but the last lion in Europe died about two thousand years ago. They were exterminated largely because of their perceived threat to man.

Lions live in prides and hunt cooperatively. Each pride is serviced by one or two male lions whose job it is to protect the territory from marauding hyenas and single male lions. In return, the male lion gets the benefit of feeding first at the lioness' kills.

It is not widely known that lions are not completely carnivorous and will even occasionally eat fruit. They typically eat the entrails of their prey first, taking advantage of the minerals, salts, and vitamins from their victim's last meal.

Careers & Hobbies

Judge • CEO • Business owner • Manager
Fine dining • Competitive sports • High fashion • Hunting

Love & Friendship

Lions are not really lions unless they’re comfortably mated. They are unsettled when their mate is away, and downright melancholy when not in a relationship. In this regard, they are unlike the rest of the feline family (wild cats, tigers, and cheetahs) whose natural equilibrium exists outside a monogamous relationship.

In bed, lions are ardent and spontaneous and the lion's lover can look forward to being the object of a wonderfully intense desire. Unfortunately, this enthusiasm only lasts for a few minutes before a mighty roar signals the end of its performance. On the positive side of the ledger, lions display admirable stamina and quickly recover their animal passions.

There are only a few personality types able to withstand the pressures of marriage to a lion, and herbivores such as sheep, deer, sable, and bison are especially at risk of being mauled by its sharp wit and tongue. The lion is well served in sticking to relationships with larger carnivores like bears and tigers that can match the lion pound for pound.

However, lions should not be seduced into relationships with the wolf or wild dog personalities, for -- although superficially compatible with its forceful disposition -- these animals are, after all, members of the canine family and conflict with the lion’s feline essence.

Famous Lion Personalities

Nicolas Cage

Nick Cage clawed his way to the top of Hollywood's A-listers through determination and guile, and his lion personality is on display in his personal life as well. The divorce from his second wife lasted longer than the marriage.

Ted Turner

It's hard to be a lion. You may be on top of the food chain, but there's always someone looking to knock you off your perch. The hard-driven founder of CNN and many other successful businesses, Ted Turner was the ultimate male lion personality.

Sharon Stone

Women don't make it as big in Hollywood as Sharon Stone did, by being mousey. Sharon Stone embodies the ultimate lioness.... strong, proud and gorgeous.

What animal are you?

Answer 12 simple questions and find out what kind of animal you are. The result may surprise you :)

For the most accurate result, please answer the questions honestly.

In a bar I usually...

In the spotlight

Meeting other people

Going alone
An old friend came to your city, but you have a lot of work. How will you do it?

I will leave work and go to see a friend

Ask a friend to meet in a cafe near my work

Explain to a friend and stay at work
In a cafe, the waiter, serving you your coffee, spilled it. How will you react?

I won't get angry, just ask him to leave

I will complain to the manager
Which of the following sentences do you think makes more sense?

Man does, God watches

Every man for himself, and the devil takes the laggards
Would you ask your friends to meet you when you return to your hometown from a trip?

Yes, please, because it would be tiring to get home on your own

No, I can do it myself
Is it easy for you to make new acquaintances?

Yes, I win people over

In different ways. Depends on the situation

No, it's not about me
If you see a crying child in the park without parents, what will you do?

I will calm the child and help him find his parents

I will leave the child to the park or the police

I am not interested in the fate of the child, I will pass by . Your actions?

I'll get into the elevator

I'll wait for the next one
Which of the following would you prefer when going for an evening walk?

Take a ride on the ferris wheel

Go to a bar
Imagine that you are the boss and you need to choose one of two candidates for the position. Will you choose the one you think is prettier?

No

All the same

Yes
If you and your friend like the same person, but he, in turn, does not like you, what will you do?

I will try not to get upset

I will seek reciprocal feelings

I will stop communicating with both
Would you like to participate in the volunteer program?

Yes, with pleasure

Maybe someday

No, it’s not for me can be seen, for example, in the lifeguards of Malibu. Absolutely healthy, eat and drink what they want and never get fat. They do not really strive for mental development and generally avoid this kind of activity.//www.arealme.com/animal/show/1.png
Lisa302312130You are independent, generous, talented and flirty, but you like to put things off until later. Foxes are usually not extravagant. They prefer stealth and cunning to brute force. Foxes love small and cozy places, and their homes are usually well-furnished and tidy. As hunters, foxes are in good physical shape and enjoy mental and physical challenges. - beautiful and influential people with innate elegance and self-confidence. They are surrounded by a sense of urgency and some kind of special aura, so that with their appearance there is always a feeling that something is about to happen.//www.arealme.com/animal/show/3.png
Bear 222221212 You are confident, ethical, strong, but too straightforward. Conflicting traits shape the character of a bear. Their sociability, strength of body and spirit make bears easily recognizable. Instead of vigilance and knowledge, the bear mostly succeeds through sheer personal strength. Such people prefer to act directly and aggressively instead of thinking.//www.arealme.com/animal/show/4.png
Leo332123302You are powerful, beautiful, persuasive and courageous, but tyrannical. The personality of a lion is inherent in the nobility. Energetic and strong, they respect strength in others, but pay little attention to grace. Leos are aggressive, predictable and reliable. Other people always recognize the lion. Their self-confidence and leadership qualities will lead them to success.//www.arealme.com/animal/show/5.png
Elephant223131303You are spiritually rich, smart, principled, strong, but pompous. The personality of an elephant is a person whose deliberate actions radiate confidence and calmness in all aspects of his life. Their intelligence, combined with impressive personality traits, gives them a significant advantage in business and social affairs, and their communication skills make them excellent leaders. //www.arealme.com/what-animal-am-i/show/6.png
Horse223031312You are stable, courageous, attentive, but stubborn. Horses are those strong people who can live with enviable ease. Their good physical shape is maintained by regular physical activity, and their personality exudes charm and confidence.//www.arealme.com/animal/show/7.png
Deer 221122212 You are beautiful, elusive, flexible, idealistic, but inconsistent. Deer is a beautiful, refined and vivid example of a herbivore. Given his few defensive skills - a nimble mind and a wired body - he must be constantly on guard. Deer's desire for a balanced life leads to a constant search for self, and stability can take the form of loneliness or relationships. the character of sheep causes some ridicule from predators and involuntary respect from other herbivores. Sheep have no real defensive skills other than their numbers, so they tend to form like-minded groups, pooling resources and starting families.//www.arealme.com/animal/show/9. png
Octopus332212122You are smart, creative and active. Octopuses are those talented and creative people who bring extra interest to our lives. Their active minds are always busy bringing more drama into their lives.//www.arealme.com/animal/show/10.png
Eagle331323111You are attractive, confident, but impatient. Eagles are admired for their soaring spirit. They tend to be flippant and emotionally harsh. Avoiding commitment, they prefer to keep moving, often not because it's necessary, but because they simply enjoy it. More than any other animal, eagles love to travel, rarely integrating into their environment.//www.arealme.com/animal/show/11.png
Wolf332312221You are handsome, athletic, determined, passionate, but aggressive. Wolves readily express their emotional state with body language. They work hard to develop their social relationships. With an innate understanding of the value of teamwork, wolves are always ready to take their place in the chain of command, both as a leader and as just one of its members. //www.arealme.com/animal/show/12.png
Peacock233031203 but superficial. Peacocks are beautiful, sexy, neat and simple. Most of the peacock's time is spent perfecting strategies to climb ever higher rungs on the social ladder.//www.arealme.com/animal/show/13.png
Owl201311112You are eloquent, sincere, but conservative. The owl is the face of tranquility in the world of birds. The quiet behavior of owls gives them an atmosphere of mystery and timidity. Their elegance and grooming are perfectly combined with the comfort of home.//www.arealme.com/animal/show/14.png
Cat311211112You are charming, graceful and romantic. Cats never bet on their mind. Instead, they rely on their grace and charm. Surrounding, regardless of attitude towards them, have to recognize their charm and mystery.//www.arealme.com/animal/show/15.png

[ What X are you? ]

What Animal Are You ？) Jakim zwierzęciem jesteš? คุณ คือ สัตว์ ชนิด ใด 的性格最哪种动物你的性格最像種？ چ چ et یوووird >ی؟ hewan apakah kamu? Bạn là con vật nào?What are you creature?Welk dier ben jij?Hangi asil hayvanın özelliklerini taşıyorsun?Que animal é você?Které zvíře jsi?Hvilket dyr er du? Hvilket dyr er du? Vilket djur är du? Haiwan apakah anda? בחנו את עצמכם: איזה חיה אתם?

You:

Try Again

Groundhog Day.

What Timka and Phil Predict

Traditionally, on February 2, groundhogs in many countries of the world give their predictions about what spring will be like this year. Kharkiv bobak Timka also said his "word", as well as his star colleague Phil from the USA.

The tradition of predicting the weather from the behavior of animals dates back many centuries, and according to some sources, it originated in ancient Rome. In the modern world, Groundhog Day is celebrated annually on February 2: an animal that has been hibernating all winter is awakened, and depending on whether it sees its shadow, they predict what spring will be like. Korrespondent.net tells us what predictions promise us this year.

Timka the Third

The current Ukrainian groundhog is called Baibak Timka III, he is four years old and has been predicting the weather for the third year in a row. The tradition itself appeared in Ukraine 18 years ago.

In general, a bobak, also known as a babak, or an ordinary steppe marmot (lat. Marmota bobak) is a rodent of the marmot family, an inhabitant of the virgin steppes of Eurasia.

According to legend, if the day is cloudy and the groundhog calmly leaves the hole without seeing his shadow, then winter will soon end and spring will be early. And if the day is sunny and the groundhog, seeing his shadow, is frightened by it and hides back into the hole, then there will be another six weeks of winter.

Groundhog Day coincides with the feast of the Presentation of the Lord according to the Gregorian calendar. It has long been believed that the weather on Sretenye determines what spring will be like.

Baibak Timka lives at the biological station of the Karazin Kharkiv National University in the village of Gaidary, Kharkiv region. Every year on February 2, a festive ceremony is held here on the occasion of Groundhog Day.

Groundhog keeper - Nadezhda Tokarskaya, senior lecturer at the Faculty of Biology. Her father, Viktor Tokarsky, is a well-known Ukrainian zoologist and ecologist, marmot specialist, Doctor of Biological Sciences, professor, head of the department of zoology and animal ecology at Kharkiv National University.

The weather today was overcast, and the groundhog, which was awakened after three months of hibernation, did not see its shadow. Taking Timka out of the lair, his keeper said: "Despite the fact that Timka did not see his shadow, the spring will be quite unstable. He says that temperature fluctuations await us. Spring will come on schedule, but it will be quite cool."

In addition to the traditional weather prediction, Timka, as the host of the event said, has already become an "expert in getting out of stress" and can answer one more question: what kind of food is better for Ukrainians to seize stress. To do this, he was brought to three different dishes to see which one he would choose: borscht with donuts, salo with black bread, garlic and herbs, or dumplings with onions. Timka chose lard with garlic and bread.

Timka is the third in his generation. Since 2004, spring predictions have been made by his grandfather and father. This winter, a tragic event happened: Timka's girlfriend Lida, with whom he lived for three years, died. The couple did not have time to have offspring, and now zoologists are looking for a new companion for Timka in order to continue the family of weather forecasters.

Practice shows that about 80 percent of forecasts are true, the remaining 20 - "well, anything can happen," said Lyudmila Dolya, an employee of the biological station.

There are also a pair of marmots in Lvov, which predicts the onset of spring - Mishko and Marichka. Usually they broadcast two weeks after Timka, but this year they woke up in early January, thus predicting an early spring.

Their sleep was so short for the first time in 13 years of observation. Animals woke up due to abnormally warm weather for the beginning of January: it was plus eight degrees in Lviv. Zoologists assure that an early rise will not affect the health of animals.

In 2021, Timka woke up a few days before Groundhog Day. The animal was noticeably nervous in the hands of the keeper and made characteristic sounds similar to whistling. It was also cloudy that day, and the keeper said that spring would be early.

However, last spring did not come early, in addition it was colder than winter. According to meteorologists, the spring months of 2021, except for March, were colder than the climatic norm, especially April, when the largest negative deviation of minus two degrees was recorded. The coldest was in mid-March, when the temperature dropped to minus 8.5 degrees.

From Germany to USA

Groundhog Day is especially popular in the northern United States and Canada, although the tradition originally appeared in Europe.

The Pennsylvania Dutch who made the holiday popular were immigrants from the German-speaking regions of Europe. The Germans had a tradition to celebrate Candlemas on February 2 as Badger Day - Dachstag. The essence is about the same: if a badger saw his shadow on a sunny day, then this foreshadowed the extension of winter for another four weeks (and not six, as it is now).

In some regions, a bear or a fox was considered such predictive animals. Initially, in Germany it was a bear, but when there were few of them left, people began to look closely at the badgers.

Some sources even say that a similar tradition existed in ancient Rome, where a hedgehog was used to predict the weather.

The earliest mention of Groundhog Day in the United States is a February 2, 1840 entry in the diary of James L. Morris of Morgantown, Pennsylvania, Holland.

The first press mention of Groundhog Day was in an 1886 newspaper in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. However, only the following year, 1887, the first official Groundhog Day was celebrated there. Since then, people have been gathering annually for an event that has become the most popular in the city, and the tradition has spread to many other cities and countries.

Since 1961, the Punxsutawney groundhog has been called Phil. "Big Phil - a seer of seers, a wise man of wise men, a prophet of prophets" - this is how the animal predictor began to be called, and the town of Punxsutawney itself was called the World Weather Center. Phil has his own website - he is a very popular character among Americans.

The ceremony traditionally starts at 7.25 am local time. Today, Big Phil predicted another six weeks of winter to the locals. This didn't surprise anyone too much: over the course of its 136-year meteorological career, the Punxsutawney groundhog predicted a long winter about 85 percent of the time.

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