330 Department of Conservation of Louisiana 



It is believed that the muskrat in Louisiana has from 

 three to five litters a year. It is known from our embryonic 

 examinations that the females have from 1 to 7 young in 

 a litter, with the average around 4 and 5. It is known to 

 be a prolific little animal, but just exactly how prolific is 

 only hazard. It is known that certain marshlands that have 

 been apparently "skinned" of their rat population one 

 winter are thickly infested with them the next season — 

 provided the muskrats are let alone during the close season. 

 In other words they must not be molested for nine months 

 of the year. 



Their amazing multiplication is aided by the rapidity 

 of the growth of the mice, as the baby muskrats are called, 

 for they soon get into the "kit" class when they begin nib- 

 bling the grass roots and start shifting for themselves. 

 This is, perhaps, the "dangerous age" for the muskrat 

 family for the "kit" (abbreviation for "kitten") becomes 

 the prey for other children of nature, such as hawks that 

 fly by day, owls by night, and a host of other predacious 

 creatures, such as mink, raccoons, alligators, gars and 

 possibly other large fish. 



When the young are born they are not naked, as a 

 number of writers have stated, but are covered with a 

 silken pelage, soft and with a beautiful sheen, giving a 

 hint of the glory of fur and guard hairs to come. They are 

 born with their eyes closed, however, and they remain 

 "blind" for quite a period of time (another question yet 

 to be definitely and positively decided). One did not open 

 its eyes until it was 17 days old, and it was a day or two 

 old, possible older, when it was removed from its birth- 

 place on Marsh Island. This might have been due, it may 

 be only fair to observe, to the fact that it was not fed on 

 its mother's milk. 



This period of blindness can be looked upon as a wise 

 provision of nature, for it compels the "mouse" to stick 

 close to home and mother, and not wander forth from the 

 nest, which they will do when their eyes are opened. Young 



