Thursday, November 27, 2008

More Muskrats...



I guess I should start today's post wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. I am working today so lets hope no one burns their turkey in the city this year.

As I said yesterday more muskrats photographs were coming along some information on this small mammal. The muskrat is a large rodent with a long skinny tail and dark brown or blackish fur.

Muskrats lead a semi-aquatic life like a beaver but do not build dams. Their houses are either cone-shaped piles of mud and vegetation or burrows in the bank. These guys lived in the bank. They are most active at night and during the dark time periods or rainy days. They eat aquatic vegetation and roots, especially cattails. I did not see any cattails in the area but they were eating plenty of the greens along the water.

An interesting note about the muskrat is that they can close their lips behind their front teeth so they can gnaw underwater.

No sky watch for me this Thursday, I have to work daylight and since it is Thanksgiving I am having family over so I would not have the time to visit other sites.

8 comments:

Ken Conger Photography said...

Awesome series Brad. Whenever I see these guys there is never any light. Happy Thanksgiving holiday.

Texas Travelers said...

.
Happy Thanksgiving from Texas....

Troy and Martha
.

Woody said...

Happy Thanksgiving my friend..Stay Safe today..

kjpweb said...

Good follow up!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Cheers, Klaus

Willard said...

Happy Thanksgiving, Brad.

That is an excellent series on the Muskrat. That is another animal that I have no good photos or video of.

I also enjoyed your series on the Bison, immensely. That looks like the Hayden Valley. I've been working with photos and video clips of a large herd there from our trip.

Coy Hill said...

You may not realize how lucky you are Brad!

Very seldom will these little guys show themselves except during very low light levels. You have a unique collection here and you certainly did an excellent job shooting them!

Ivar Østtun said...

Great series of photos Brad. I have never seen this muskrat animal before. A cute one.
I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and I wish you and your family a happy weekend.

Leedra said...

Viewing these 3 post of muskrat I am beginning to think the one I posted back in the summer may have been a muskrat instead of a groundhog. Never was sure to begin with.