334 Department of Conservation of Louisiana, 



Foods 



The muskrat is mainly, and sometimes in certain locali- 

 ties, wholly a vegetarian. Its food consists of a consider- 

 able variety of plants, either growing in or about water. 

 While it has been stated from time to time that this animal 

 varies its normal vegetable diet with fish, clams, crayfish, 

 mussels, etc., our researches in Louisiana lead us to un- 

 hesitatingly declare it, like its cousin the beaver, lives, 

 thrives and dies on plant life. 



However, whether or not this mammal occasionally 

 samples animal foods is not important to the 'rat rancher, 

 for to successfully rear these fur animals for their pelts 

 it will be necessary to stock the preserve with vegetable 

 forage and that will be the only phase of the matter here 

 considered. 



An intensive study of the food problem in Louisiana 

 listed the following items on the menu that nature provides 

 the little fur animal with throughout the year in Louisiana, 

 and the same or closely related species of plant life furnish 

 sustenance for these animals elsewhere on the North 

 American continent. While the cattail is the acknowledged 

 "main" food of the muskrat in New England, Manitoba and 

 elsewhere, in Louisiana the best 'rats are found, and most 

 abundantly, where there is a heavy growth of what is known 

 here as the three-square rush. 



The list follows what is believed to be the important 

 foods in the order in which they are named, and not only 

 are "book names" of the plants given but their scientific 

 designation as well, so as to make identification doubly 

 certain. The "folk names" of these muskrat food plants 

 are also included, those in italics being the usual French 

 name applied by the average Acadian trapper to the plant, 

 a few Spanish designations used by the Spanish-speaking 

 trappers of the Delacroix Island section, and the others, in 

 quotation marks, are lccal English terms. 



