Muskrat

Description

With a snout-vent length of about 35 cm and a tail length of about 22 cm, the muskrat is smaller than a nutria (Myocastor coypus) or a beaver (Castor fiber) and larger than a brown rat (Rattus norvegicus). The weight is usually between 0.8 and 1.6 kg (maximum: 2.3 kg). The muskrat has a stocky, rat-like shape. The short and thick head merges externally into the rump without a neck. The tail is almost naked and not round but flattened.

The muskrat is excellently adapted to life in the water. It has ears that can be closed watertight, with the auricles hidden deep in the fur. Although its hind paws, unlike those of beavers and nutrias, do not have webbed feet, the muskrat is a skilled swimmer and diver. Instead of webbed toes, muskrats have so-called webbed bristles: stiff hairs that grow as a fringe along the edges of the toes, thus enlarging them like paddles. The main impulse for locomotion in the water is provided by the long, strong legs and the widely spread hind feet. To control and support the swimming movement, the muskrat uses its tail, which it moves to the right and left in a horizontal plane. Its fur is very dense and water-repellent, so it can often stay in the water for long periods.

Habitat

Muskrats spend most of their time in water. They are excellent swimmers and can dive for up to ten minutes. On land, however, the muskrat appears rather clumsy. The shy animal accepts almost any reasonably suitable flowing and still water as a habitat. Muskrats are usually nocturnal and crepuscular. However, as with many other species, such as the red fox and wild boar, their day and night rhythms are dependent on human disturbance. In areas where they are relatively undisturbed, they can often be seen during the day.

The text is a translation of an excerpt from Wikipedia (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bisamratte). On wikipedia the text is available under a „Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike“ licence. Status: 20 August 2021