What a Mouthful
Capable of holding their breaths for up to 20 minutes, Muskrats (Ondatra zibethicus) are highly adapted to live in and around water. For instance, their fur is waterproof, with a grid-like guard layer protecting the soft and cozy underfur from the course wear of the outer layer of fur. Their lips actually close behind their incisors, allowing them to gnaw plant material underwater without getting a mouthful of pond. These predominantly vegetarian creatures live in elaborate burrows that they dig under the water in riverbanks. These excavated tunnels lead to dry chambers and air vents that are typically calculated to come up in shrubs, so as not to be found!
Photograph made by Amanda Lacy.
What a Mouthful
Capable of holding their breaths for up to 20 minutes, Muskrats (Ondatra zibethicus) are highly adapted to live in and around water. For instance, their fur is waterproof, with a grid-like guard layer protecting the soft and cozy underfur from the course wear of the outer layer of fur. Their lips actually close behind their incisors, allowing them to gnaw plant material underwater without getting a mouthful of pond. These predominantly vegetarian creatures live in elaborate burrows that they dig under the water in riverbanks. These excavated tunnels lead to dry chambers and air vents that are typically calculated to come up in shrubs, so as not to be found!
Photograph made by Amanda Lacy.