Classification
View: Muskrat
Family: Hamster
Order: Rodents
Class: Mammals
Type: Chordates
Subtype: Vertebrates
Sizes: Body length 28-40 cm, tail length 28 cm, weight from 1000 to 1500 g,
Life span: 5-10 years
Muskrat – a representative of rodents of the hamster family, has relatively large, long tail with scales and webs on the hind legs that help you move quickly in water.
The animal eats mainly plant foods, leads water way of life, for construction erects burrows and huts.
Against the background of other rodents, the animal stands out with its unusual tail – oblong and flaky.
Muskrats live in burrows dug in shores, or huts, tuned over land. If you observe how the animal looks from afar, it can be confused with a small beaver.
Content
- 1 Habitat
- 2 Characteristic
- 3 Appearance
- 4 Key Features
- 5 Nutrition
- 6 Behavior, reproduction
- 7 Relations with people
Habitat
Muskrat lives near the swampy shores of water bodies, most often it can be seen in the water. However, the animal holds part time on land in thickets of grass. The main share in the diet is water plants.
On the hind legs of the animal between the fingers are membranes. In swimming time, the river muskrat uses its hind legs, the tail covered with scales sets the direction, and the fur coat does not pass water. According to these qualities, this animal is very similar to muskrat.
There is no wool on the tail of the muskrat, only small scales
Interesting! Muskrat is able to swim in forward and backward.
What dwellings does the animal build
The river muskrat builds itself different types of dwellings:
- burrows with long corridors;
- elevated huts from plants and silt;
- houses of combined type;
- temporary shelters.
In the middle course of the rivers, the animal constructs a hole in the form of long tunnels. They interconnect residence chambers. There cubs born will be kept.
The exit from the hole is located deep under water, so in winter it does not freeze. In the chamber itself, even in severe frosts, temperature does not fall below zero.
With a strong shallowing of the river, the entrance to the hole opens. In such case, for access to water and food, the animal digs channels. From the entrance to the hole is a long corridor with branches and other outlets to the water.
At the end of the tunnel, a nesting chamber is installed, which can located 5-20 meters from the reservoir. As a dining room a small extension is used near the entrance to the hole.
In the lower reaches and with very marshy banks, the river muskrat erects elevated houses. For their construction animal uses reeds and branches. The hut is strengthened by silt and clay. input built under water.
Since the walls of the house are made of plant materials, with in the absence of food, they become lunch for the animal. During the period floods, the hut of the muskrat can be carried away by the current. If such happens, the animal takes up construction again.
Muskrats build houses from stems and branches
Sometimes the muskrat equips cameras for residence on two levels. They are interconnected by corridors.
Such a two-story dwelling is useful to the animal when changing water level in a reservoir. The length of the tunnels varies from 2-3 m in steep banks up to 10 m in shallow.
Device and types of cameras
The nest settles above water level. It is located inside specially designated for it nesting chamber.
What does such a nest look like? It is rounded to the bottom the animal lines the sedge and reed. If the family has already appeared first offspring, additional nests are built in the hole.
The animal arranges for itself a “dining room”. This little camera it looks like a nest in appearance, but there is no litter of stems at its bottom and leaves. It settles almost at water level. Here the animal can leave part of its lunch.
If the shore is quite low, the river muskrat builds a dwelling mixed type. This is required when the nesting camera is too close to the earth’s surface or collapses. Then the animal constructs an extension to the hole in the form of a hut.
The animal feeds on aquatic plants.
In addition to houses for living, the animal builds temporary shelters. In appearance, this is a small hole without cameras and branches. Such buildings are found in areas where several live generations of muskrats.
Another option is the arrangement of a separate feed hut on territory with lots of food. Such a home can play the role of a shelter or just a room where you can relax and clean fur. It is arranged as a small hut in the form of a hemisphere.
Such a construction is constructed from the remnants of food and has one output and camera. Located more often on floating objects – rafts or on bushes rising above the water.
Muskrat Habitat
The original habitat for the muskrat was North America, and the animal was found in the area from Alaska to Mexico itself. In the twentieth century the animal was brought to Europe, then the individuals spread towards Asia, mastered the taiga and forest-steppe.
Natural
Characteristic
The muskrat belongs to rodents, is a representative of the family hamsters. Belongs to the genus in which there is only one species. From other rodents are quite large in size. Other the name of the muskrat is the musk rat.
The river muskrat swims beautifully. For rowing these rodents involve the hind legs, on which there are membranes. Their fur coat is not leaks moisture.
The main part of life, the animal is in the water. Structure the rodent’s jaw allows you to refuel with aquatic plants without opening his mouth.
Muskrat incisors protrude beyond the lips.
Animals settle in groups – in fact, families from parental individuals and young animals. The grown muskrats are evicted from a common hole and looking for their own place of residence.
An indispensable condition when choosing a site for home improvement – the proximity of the reservoir.
Appearance
Many are interested in what this animal looks like. Outwardly muskrat – typical rodent with an oblong flat tail, the length of which almost reaches the length of the body.
The fur does not allow water to pass through, the skeleton is quite elastic, the undercoat soft. The muskrat coat is black, dark brown and brown colors. Animal fur is valued, like a ferret’s fur coat, because the hairline is thick and beautiful. Tail scaly, without wool.
The photo shows that the eyes of the muskrat are set high, the ears of a small the size, barely protruding beyond the fur on the head. Unique structure incisors extending beyond the lips, allows the animal to cut underwater vegetation even with a closed mouth.
These rodents on their feet have long and sharp claws, which makes it easier the arrangement of underground tunnels.
Muskrats build huts and underground tunnels
Although the muskrat is a wonderful swimmer, leathery membranes are available. only on the hind legs. To go into the hole, the animal has to swim some space under water.
Good diving skills are also required for animals to search for food. Muskrat is able to stop breathing for 12 minutes. Animals are excellent Dive and cross rivers.
Interesting! A case is known when an animal remained under water for 17 minutes.
Regarding environmental perception, the muskrat has excellent hearing. Sense of smell and vision are less developed.
Key Features
Interesting facts about the life and habits of the muskrat can be attributed following points.
- Record long diving (up to 17 minutes) is possible due to the high level of hemoglobin in the blood of the animal.
- The fur coat and external contours of the muskrat can remotely resemble rat or lemmings but the animal is significantly surpasses them in size.
- The floating muskrat is not hard to mistake for a beaver.
- In relation to the size of the body, the animal is very small brain.
- In males, a gland that secretes musky smell.
- On average, the size of the ground houses of the muskrat 1.1 × 1.8 m, there were buildings up to 3 m high.
- To get into the hole, the muskrat has to swim some distance under water.
- The animal does not hibernate.
- Muskrat is a very conservative rodent. When looking for food, she tramples the paths, and subsequently always moves along them.
- Although the way the animal looks on the shore gives an impression clumsiness, in water individuals are very agile. They swim silently and quickly, excellently dive and are able to cross wide rivers.
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Food
The vast majority of the diet of animals (about 95%) are different types of plant foods. About 5% is animal feed.
Muskrats feed mainly on plant foods
The river muskrat prefers aquatic plants – reeds, arrowheads, as well as horsetail and cattail. The animal’s menu contains berries, branches, seeds, roots.
If agricultural land is nearby, the animal will not refuse to eat cereals or vegetables.
Important! In the spring from vegetable fresh leaves and shoots are preferred, whereas in autumn – roots and seeds. In winter, even a hut can serve as food built from reeds. All damage to the animal will be patched to fly.
From animal feed the muskrat uses crayfish, mollusks, frogs, small fish and turtles.
Behavior, reproduction
The main activity of the muskrat is at dusk and dawn. IN during the daytime animals prefer to relax, although at with sufficient feed, the opposite may be observed.
Relationship with other individuals
Muskrats are held in groups that consist of individuals-parents and their growing offspring. They coexist with beavers within one reservoir. In the life of these animals and even in how they look, there is a lot in common.
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Muskrat can also be seen on land
In the spring, young growth is “driven” out of its hole and sent to searching for a new place of residence. Find a free area happens not easy.
The host animals always protect their possessions from strangers. Between individuals experience fierce clashes over territory.
Breeding season
Muskrat is known for its fertility. If in the northern areas in year the female brings 2 offspring, then in the southern number of litters increases to 3-4.
Under favorable conditions, the mating season can last with April to September. In the southern regions, cubs appear during all year. However, the highest fecundity has been observed since November. until April.
Individuals mate in water. In one litter in most cases there are 6-8 cubs. There are cases when for one offspring 11 individuals were born. Female pregnancy continues 25 days.
What do young muskrats look like?
Cubs are born blind, they still have no fur. Weigh newborn baby 20-25 grams. The female feeds cubs about month. After about a week, their incisors make their way, by 15 days – permanent teeth.
In just two weeks, the kids grow a fur coat, they learn to swim. Within a month, the cubs become independent. Fur young individuals of a gray-brown shade. Grown individuals leave parent hole. This avoids overpopulation.
The life span of animals is greatly influenced by Wednesday
Muskrats reach puberty in the southern regions at 6 months. For the northern regions, the ripening period is 12 months. Animals live from 5 to 10 years. Great influence – either positive or negative – environmental conditions have a effect here.
Relationship with people
For a person, a small muskrat is not dangerous. She can apply damage only to farmers, as they will not refuse to eat vegetables or cereals. Due to the fact that animals dig tunnels along the banks, they may damage irrigation systems.
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Muskrat is considered one of the main types of fur trade. Due to fertility, its number is at a high level. In addition, animals easily adapt to changes in their environment.
However, for unexplained reasons, once every 6-10 years, the number individuals are declining sharply. Then their numbers return to previous values.
Muskrat lives near ponds and spends most of its time in water
Muskrat – a small rodent, leading a predominantly aquatic image of life. Despite the apparent clumsiness on land, the animal in the water very agile. The membranes on his hind legs help him in this. waterproof fur.
Muskrats live near ponds; as a shelter they dig burrows with long corridors and build a hut. Eat mainly plant foods – aquatic plants, young shoots, seeds, roots.
Their diet includes a small amount of animal feed. Muskrat consume crayfish, small fish, shellfish. Live big family in groups. Due to the high fecundity, their number remains stable.
Muskrat – Agile rodent swimmer
Muskrat – a representative of rodents of the hamster family, has relatively large, long tail with scales and webs on the hind legs that help you move quickly in water. It feeds mainly on plant fodder a way of life, to build holes and lodges for living.
