| This is a medium-sized (16"-25") rodent with a broad head, stocky body,
short legs, and a vertically flattened, scaly tail. Eyes are small
and ears barely project above the fur. Hind feet are webbed at the
base of the toes rather than completely like the beaver. Color is
dark blackish brown on top, lighter on the sides, even lighter underneath.
Muskrats are found throughout North America, except for parts of California,
Texas, and the southeast. They live in slow-running water such as
marshes, streams, poonds, and lakes. They prefer bank burrows, but
sometimes build a house out of vegetation within the water. Such
houses consist of a huge conical pile of grass, roots, and stems.
The piles are often many feet high. Waterfowl often sit and next
on top of such dens. Muskrat also build canals through marshes as
well. They are mostly nocturnal, but are occasionally seen durning
the day. They feed on a variety of aquatic plants, some cultivated
plants, and will take animals such as clams, snails, crayfish, frogs, and
some reptiles. Muskrat pelts are one of the most common furs on the
market. |
