I see these Common Muskrats every once in awhile at the Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma but most of the time it is to dark to get a good photo. This one was feeding just as the sun was coming up and I was able to get a few photos before it disappeared. It was on a log in the back waters.
The muskrat eats aquatic vegetation like cattails, sedges, rushes, water lilies and pond weeds. In some areas it also eats clams, mussels, snails, crayfish, small fish and frogs. The muskrat doesn’t eat its food where it finds it, it usually drags its food out to a feeding platform in the water or a feeding station near one of its travel paths. These feeding platforms are made of mud and vegetation. It can then eat its food without worrying about predators! The muskrat is crepuscular, that means it is most active at dawn, dusk and at night.(Nature Works)
5 Comments
They are always such scrufty looking animals.
Adorable!!
We see them in the acequias here in New Mexico. I always enjoy watching them, but I have a hard time photographing them, maybe because of the reflection on the water. Like your photos.
Have seen photos of muskrats, but seldom a frontal shot, love that last one! Great capture!
So nice to see some wonderful close-up images of a muskrat. I have always viewed them from quite a distance. Terrific series!