"A MUSKRAT'S BREAKFAST"

Muskrat - 7 Photos

A large muskrat (by muskrat standards) swam from the pond and climbed out onto a small beaver dam, bordered either side by cattails. 

The appearance of this muskrat may have confirmed the mystery of an incident that had occurred a few days before. I had seen a mink on previous occasions, fishing in this particular pond, with much success (Photo #1 & Photo #2). Although Photo #2 isn't the clearest from the point of vegetation, you can see why a mink would return to such a great fishing hole. The day in question, however, the mink appeared and ran into the vegetation but seconds later, all the Red-Winged Blackbirds went crazy, flying about and sounding alarms. Then from the cattails came what I could only describe as a very loud and eerie growling. Out came the mink at speed, bounded across the rocks and disappeared in the opposite direction.

I did wonder, at the time, what could have made such an unworldly sound and make a mink take flight. I remembered I had seen a muskrat(s) on other occasions swimming out of those same cattails. So I suppose when the mink went in to fish, he/she came face to face with this muskrat. Muskrats may not be the largest rodent in the pond, but they do have sharp teeth and are extremely protective of their young and will defend their homes & feeding areas. They co-exist with beavers, even sharing space in beavers' lodges but a mink is a predator and although, muskrats don't seem that big to people, to a mink, a rodent coming at you with sharp orange teeth is a mammal you want to avoid. So mystery solved.

But on this day, the muskrat was out in the open water searching for breakfast. First, he/she nibbled on some old vegetation on top of the small dam (Photo #3 & Photo #4).  Once done with the entree, it was on to the main course and having dived down into the water, retrieved cattail roots (Photo #5 through 7). At first glance, I thought it might have been a fish (which muskrats will catch & eat) but then I could see the tuber shape of the root. I have seen beavers eagerly harvest these. They are, in fact, safe for human consumption providing they are taken from non-polluted waters and are rich in starch but believe I will leave that food source for the muskrats, etc. 

PHOTO #1

PHOTO #2

PHOTO #3

PHOTO #4

PHOTO #5

PHOTO #6

PHOTO #7