This is the time of year when young muskrats (Ondatra zibethica) get pushed out of their parents’ houses and are forced to look for their own territory. The poor near-sighted guys strike out on their own, leaving the marshes, ponds and lakes of their birth behind. Unfortunately as they travel far and wide they don’t go unnoticed by red-tailed hawks and coyotes, but perhaps their greatest enemy is rubber. One day on my way from Oshkosh to Green Bay I counted 18 flattened brown fur balls on just one side of the highway. So if you happen to see a fat brown mammal with a naked tail running through your yard, have no fear, it’s just a muskrat looking for a new home, and a little love.
I thought I’d spare you a photo of muskrat hamburger todayJ
Muskrats are a feisty little bunch. Don't go close enough to give it love. In Marty Stouffer's Wild America series, the episode on the Muskrat includes one attacking a Moose.
ReplyDeleteMuskrat love can be a dangerous thing.
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