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Muskrat - ONDATRA ZIBETHICUS
Class: Animals with Milk Glands (Mammalia)
The Name "Muskrat": "Muskrat" probably is a misinterpretation of the native American Algonquin word "musquasch." It is, however, closely related to rats, and it does have a musk gland. ("Musk," by the way, means "mouse," from the little mouse-like sac in which the gland is contained.)
Location: North America; introduced to Europe.
Habitat: Terrestrial. Marshland and swamps with fresh and salt water; streams and rivers.
Description: Its appearance is that of a large rat with a scaly flattened tail which acts as a rudder when it swims. The coat is dark brown and waterproof. Near the genitals there is a gland which produces a strong-smelling musky secretion, hence its name. These creatures grow over two feet long, ten inches of which constitute the tail. They can weigh up to four pounds.
Behavior: The solitary muskrat is active at all hours. It feeds mainly on aquatic plants, but will also eat frogs and fish. It swims by using its hind legs and tail, and it builds "houses" of vegetation in shallow ponds. It also digs underground burrows in the banks of waterways (these burrows have an entrance under the water and sometimes another one at the water level).
Reproduction: Mating usually occurs in the water. The female may produce several litters each year with a gestation period of less than a month. The female has 3 pair of nipples. Each litter has six to eight young. The offspring are weaned after another month, and reach sexual maturity the spring following their birth.
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