8 Facts About Staten Island Chuck

1. Staten Island Chuck was kept safe from the slippery hands of elected officials in a Plexiglass box and lifted out of his burrow by an elevator.

2. Staten Island Chuck survived another Groundhog Day unharmed as de Blasio skipped the ceremony for the third year in a row, with Comptroller Scott Stringer taking his place.

3. Staten Island Chuck predicted an early spring for the city during a Friday morning Groundhog Day ceremony at the Staten Island Zoo.

4. Staten Island Chuck has a pretty good track record—29 correct predictions in 35 years.

5. Staten Island Chuck left his burrow in search of his shadow around 7:30 am at the Staten Island Zoo, to no avail.

6. On February 2, 2015, this female "Staten Island Chuck" walked out of a hutch that an elevator had lifted onto the stage of a portable Plexiglass habitat, while de Blasio watched from six feet away.

7. Staten Island Chuck had a contentious relationship with New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, whom he notoriously bit in 2009.

8. Staten Island Chuck, referred to more formally as Charles G Hogg, is a groundhog who resided in the Staten Island Zoo in Staten Island, New York City.