We were at a nearby marsh pond yesterday trying to keep warblers in focus when we heard the lovely gurgling sound of the still water’s surface being parted. This young muskrat had come out through his underwater tunnel from his home up in a distant bank. (Sex assumed.)
He swam silently to a patch of new, green cattail leaves, bit some off at their base, and returned with them in his mouth to where he had surfaced. Once there, he returned home by quickly slipping under the surface, spring bedding or food pantry materials in mouth.
Muskrats are powerful swimmers. They use their webbed hind feet and side-swishing flattened tails to swim forward and can swim backwards using their feet alone. They also can hold their breath up to 20 minutes. Muskrats once were hunted widely for their soft fur and rabbit-like taste. (Julia Child recommended sautéing them.) Of course, they get their name from the strong, musky scent that they use to mark their territory and their rat-like looks. (Brooklin, Maine)