Common Muskrat
Very similar to beavers.
When diving they are capable of remaining submerged for as long as 12-17 minutes at a time.
Muskrat’s were named for their “musk”. They emit an odor as a way of communicating, and informing others of nearby threats.
Muskrats do not collect food for winter, instead they dig through the mud and find plants located below the ice layer.
They are herbivorous, generally eating cattails, sedges, rushes, water lilies, pond weeds, and other aquatic vegetation. Sometimes they eat clams, mussels, snails, crayfish, small fish, and frogs.
Can be damaging to native habitats if there were no natural predators to keep their numbers in check.