Tag / rodent

29

Apr

Muskrat

Related to Beaver? No. Related to a Rat? No. It is said they are more likened to an overgrown field mouse. Thick, richly coloured fur which keeps them warm in the icy cold waters throughout winters. They build little mud/reed lodges for sleeping and eating in.

They are active during the later hours of the day. Muskrats do not have webbed feet and their tail is bald; both feet and tail are sparsely covered with fine hairs. Their tail is long and more round than flat and does look like a rat tail. They use musk glands to scent their trails and communicate. Muskrats are found in slower moving rivers, streams and marshy areas and inhabit virtually all areas of North America. Valued for their fur, they are trapped in large numbers and they have numerous air borne and land predators. In spite of this their population remains healthy. There are many fascinating facts (how they have adapted to eating underwater) about these mammals which have so well adapted to their aquatic habitats. Check out the following Muskrat Fact Sheet at Hinterland Who’s Who

Below: A good view of the hind feet

Below: A muskrat’s tail – round and bare

Muskrats use their front feet like hands to grip their preferred food like cat tails.

Enjoy!

~Sharon

21

May

Woodchuck

This photo is cropped closely to give you a good look at the woodchuck’s paws. Very hand-like with long claws for digging. In a previous post of a woodchuck the colour was more grey-dark brown while this one is clearly more a rusty brown colour. Woodchucks are also known as groundhogs. A very handsome woodchuck indeed!

Enjoy!

~Sharon

14

Mar

DAM those Beavers . . .

If you ever have the opportunity and some time to spare sit quietly and watch some beavers. They are often out and about in the late afternoons before dark sets in. They spend a lot of time grooming their beautiful dense fur releasing oils which keep their bodies dry. Beavers are chatty, social in their family groups, graceful in the water, waddle on land and extremely industrious. They drag limbs of trees through water channels with ease, cut down large trees with expert precision and create small lakes which in turn create habitat for waterfowl by building strategically placed dams (unfortunately not always where people wish to have land flooded). The following photos were taken in Nopiming & Whiteshell Provincial Parks both of which have healthy populations of beavers. The mother and kit were very interesting to watch swimming together and diving down to get plant roots which they bring to the surface to dine on. Beavers played a major role in Canadian history being the subjects of the fur trade era.