Figure 12. — Dense stands of saltinarsh 

 bulrush, or coco (Scirpus robustns), 

 i'avorite food of niuskrats and water- 

 fowl. 



{Anacharis spp.), and occasionally 

 smartweed. The inland fresh- 

 water areas, in which "coopers" or 

 "blue-flag" cattail {Typha glauca)^ 

 broadleaved or common cattail {T. 

 lafi folia), and burreed (Sparga- 

 nium spp.) are major food plants, 

 produce the largest muskrats and 

 the best pelts. In some northeast- 

 ern sections the European flower- 

 ing rush {Butomits umheUatim) is 

 being used in increasing amounts. 

 Throughout the north central and 

 northwestern United States the 

 hardstem bulrush {Scirpus acutus) 

 and the river bulrush {S. fluviati- 

 lis) are outstandingly important 

 food plants. In the great muskrat- 

 producing marshes of the Atlantic 

 coast and of the Gulf of Mexico, the 

 three-squares {Scirpvs olneyi, S. 

 am-ericanus) and saltmarsh bulrush 

 {Scirpus rohustus) (fig. 12) are 

 staple foods, and wherever the West 

 Indian cattail {Typha domingen- 

 sis) occurs it is highly relished. 



In the winter, when plants are 

 dormant (fig. 13) and ponds and 

 marshes are frozen over, the musk- 

 rat lives mainly on the underground 



parts of plants. Unlike many other 

 rodents, it does not store great 

 quantities of food for this critical 

 period and must depend on its abil- 

 ity to dive and, while submerged, 

 dig and gnaw loose pieces of the 

 roots and lower stems of aquatic 

 plants. 



Muskrats eat a wide variety of 

 cultivated plants when available. 

 They are especially fond of carrots, 

 corn, raw peanuts, clover, alfalfa, 

 soybeans, and wind-fallen apples, 

 and will travel considerable dis- 

 tances from their dens, located 

 along streams and ditches adjacent 

 to farm properties, to obtain them. 



Breeding 



In the spring, patching of the old 

 houses heralds the beginning of the 

 breeding season and of preparations 

 for the young. Although muskrats 

 usually pair off and share the home- 

 making duties, they are not strictly 

 monogamous. Trapping breaks up 

 many families and members of both 

 sexes readily accept new mates. At 

 times the males are highly polyga- 

 mous; this results in considerable 

 fighting when one is searching for 



Figure 13. — Clump of cattail cut from 

 beneath the ice. The muskrat is es- 

 pecially fond of the green, dormant 

 winter buds. 



9 



