Muskrats at Ridgefield

A common muskrat stands on a log in a marsh in Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge

White Claws

This was the first time I had seen a muskrat out of the water, and even from a distance I was startled to see how long and white its claws were. In this picture, it has splayed out its front paws so that you can see each individual finger and the long nail on each one, as well as the nails on its rear feet. The picture was taken in a quiet backwater channel on the Kiwa Trail in the River S Unit.

A common muskrat eats while standing on a downed log in a marsh at Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge

White Claws, White Fur

Muskrats have brown fur like most of our aquatic rodents, but they aren't solid brown. They have white patches near the tip of their nose and white bellies, and especially when their fur is wet you can see short white fur beneath their long brown fur.

The muskrats at Ridgefield tend to be pretty skittish so I was surprised when this one didn't bolt as I came up on it as I walked the forested section of the auto tour in late spring. The chubby little thing didn't let my presence dissuade it from feeding plants into its mouth, usually with both hands, and let me watch for as long as I wanted.

A common muskrat eats at Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge

Mmmm …

I don't know what type of plants these are, but the muskrats love them. During the spring at Ridgefield, you can commonly see them either eating the plants where they stand or swimming with a bunch back to their den. Their eating approach seems to be as seen here, to take a stalk and feed it into their mouth with their two front paws.

A muskrat swims on a rainy day at Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge

Not Worried About the Rain

When your body is built to withstand being in the water frequently, the Pacific Northwest's rain showers aren't a bother. This muskrat was swimming in a narrow side channel when the rain turned from a drizzle to a shower.

A common muskrat swims with a large bundle of plants in its mouth

Mouthful

Although the introduced nutria is far more common in the Pacific Northwest, I knew this was something else the moment I saw it by the different way it carried itself in the water. As it got closer, I realized it was a muskrat, the first one I ever saw in Oregon. It was carrying these large fronds in its mouth as it swam towards its nest, so that it looked like there was a giant plant swimming through the water.

A muskrat eats the grasses at the edge of the marsh at Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge

Trailblazer

Another picture of a muskrat eating the plants that grow near the edges of the marsh at Ridgefield, but this time it is standing on dry ground inches above the waterline. You can actually see a bumble bee flying just above his body, something I hadn't noticed at the time. More to the point, you can also see the trail the muskrat has worn through the tall plants to reach the water's edge.

	White Claws This was the first time I had seen a muskrat out of the water, and even from a distance I was startled to see how long and white its claws were. In this picture, it has splayed out its front paws so that you can see each individual finger and the long nail on each one, as well as the nails on its rear feet. The picture was taken in a quiet backwater channel on the Kiwa Trail in the River S Unit.
	White Claws, White Fur Muskrats have brown fur like most of our aquatic rodents, but they aren't solid brown. They have white patches near the tip of their nose and white bellies, and especially when their fur is wet you can see short white fur beneath their long brown fur. The muskrats at Ridgefield tend to be pretty skittish so I was surprised when this one didn't bolt as I came up on it as I walked the forested section of the auto tour in late spring. The chubby little thing didn't let my presence dissuade it from feeding plants into its mouth, usually with both hands, and let me watch for as long as I wanted.
	Mmmm … I don't know what type of plants these are, but the muskrats love them. During the spring at Ridgefield, you can commonly see them either eating the plants where they stand or swimming with a bunch back to their den. Their eating approach seems to be as seen here, to take a stalk and feed it into their mouth with their two front paws.