Rondeau Ric

Mar 30, 2020, near Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada. Went for a short drive today, saw lots of flickers, heard a towhee and came across this muskrat sitting at the side of the road. Ondatra zibethicus The muskrat, the only species in genus Ondatra and tribe Ondatrini, is a medium-sized semiaquatic rodent native to North America and an introduced species in parts of Europe, Asia, and South America. The muskrat is found in wetlands over a wide range of climates and habitats. It has important effects on the ecology of wetlands, and is a resource of food and fur for humans.

We spotted this muskrat taking a swim on Dec 28. So far it has been a mild winter and they have good insulation, but still.... Ondatra zibethicus A muskrat s basically a large field mouse that has adapted to life in and around water They have specially evolved teeth that protrude ahead of the cheeks and lips that can be closed behind them, permitting it to chew on stems and roots under water "with its mouth closed"

Why did the muskrat cross the road? , a photo by ricmcarthur on Flickr. Well, actually he didn't, he stopped half way. Not sure what he was doing our of his burrow, in the middle of winter in freezing temperatures but he was just sitting there on the road. I didn't try to move him as he didn't seem injured and it was a quiet back country road. I call it a he as a she would be smarter than to sit in the road. Muskrats are medium-sized semiaquatic rodent native to North America. It is basically a large field mouse that has adapted to life in and around water and has large hind feet that act like paddles during swimming. Ondatra zibethicus