Muskrat Skull

The Muskrat is a medium sized, semi-aquatic rodent that lives throughout Canada and the United States and in some parts of northern Mexico. The Muskrat gets its name from the two scented glands near its tail that give off a musky odor. It resides primarily in wetlands, near marshes, rivers or ponds, and is well adapted to its aquatic life. It has two layers of thick brown fur to protect it from the cold water, as well as semi-webbed toes and a powerful tail covered in scales, which makes it a skillful swimmer. It can also close its ears, like the beaver, to prevent water from getting in. Also like the beaver, muskrats build nests to protect themselves and their young, using their large incisors to chew saplings and other building material. Some of their structures even have an underwater entrance. The muskrat is most active around dawn and dusk, and feeds primarily on cattails and other aquatic vegetation, as well as small animals like mussels, frogs and small turtles.