I am not exactly sure what was going on, but this muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) seemed to be really struggling in the open water one afternoon last week as the strong wind gusts made the water really choppy at Huntley Meadows Park. Normally muskrats use their tails as a source of underwater propulsion, but it seemed really unusual to see a muskrat’s tail completely out of the water.
A Wikipedia article noted that muskrat tails are covered with scales rather than hair, and, to aid them in swimming, are slightly flattened vertically, which is a shape that is unique to them. I somehow had always thought of muskrat tails as being long and skinny, but, as the image shows, their tails are quite substantial.
I can’t tell for sure, but it looks like the muskrat may be carrying something in its mouth and/or front paws. Is that why it was seeking to balance itself with its tail? For now it remains a mystery, but I think I will go back over the other photos that I took of this muskrat to see if I can find an answer.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved
It reminds me of how we put our arms out, walking a railroad track. My guess (and it’s only that) would be that it is for balance.
That’s what I am guessing. It’s hard, though, if you need the tail also to keep moving forward. It was actually a bit of a surprise to see the muskrat in the open water. Usually they hang around in the shallow water among the reeds and cattails.
That’s interesting, Mike — I always thought of their tails as skinny too. It’s always a treat to see a muskrat.
We have been watching just such a show here on the lake for the past 2 days. Swimming in circles, feasting on something and tail in the air. To the point that we were no longer sure it was our muskrat. A google image search led me to your photo. All other behaviors are certainly what we are used to – heading back to the cattails etc – so I think your theory is probably correct. Thanks for posting!
It is always fun to watch animals and to try to figure out what is going on. Experts probably do a better job of interpret what they are seeing, but I enjoy making up my own theories, which may be wrong most of the time, because I impute human motives to the animals.
I saw 5 young ones in the Grand River in Michigan at sunset last night who were all swimming with tails up. They didn’t seem to be feeding….just out for a swim.
What a really cool sighting…siblings swimming together. 🙂