Is this a Muskrat? Yesterday while photographing Deer, I saw this animal in the shallow lake water and thought it might be a Muskrat. It was about a foot long (not counting the tail)...

Regis Loc: Coeur d' Alene, Idaho

Yesterday while photographing Deer, I saw this animal in the shallow lake water and thought it might be a Muskrat. It was about a foot long (not counting the tail) and was about 30 feet away.

Canon 6D - Tamron 150-600mm @ 600mm - 1/320 sec. - f/6.3 - ISO @ 1600.

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jwt Loc: Texas Hill Country

Regis wrote:

Yesterday while photographing Deer, I saw this animal in the shallow lake water and thought it might be a Muskrat. It was about a foot long (not counting the tail) and was about 30 feet away.

Yep Regis, I think you hit its ID right on the head. Since your location shows Idaho, it would not be a nutria as they are much larger and much farther south (LA to be exact.) BTW its a great capture of that normally somewhat shy animal. Thanks for sharing. :) :thumbup:

uppics Loc: rockford, il, usa

Regis wrote:

Yesterday while photographing Deer, I saw this animal in the shallow lake water and thought it might be a Muskrat. It was about a foot long (not counting the tail) and was about 30 feet away.

did the tail appear to be long and thin; like a rat's tail? i have seen one muskrat; a couple summers ago in the state park near my home. i photographed it as it swimming, went home and looked it up and sure enough.....muskrat. if the tail appeared to look like a rat's tail, then you probably captured a muskrat.

LarryT

Hi Regis,
My first take on the animal was that it is a beaver. But I know you would have recognized the broad flat tail (you mentioned seeing the tail) of a beaver. So, if it had a rope like, not too long, tail, then it probably is a muskrat. The ones I have seen have been darker and more uniform in color, but there are probably variations in coloration.
Muskrats build lodges on the water that look like small floating haystacks. The presence of that type of lodge would support the notion of a muskrat. Beaver lodges are larger, and built of branches and look very ragged. hope this helps.

Regis Loc: Coeur d' Alene, Idaho

jwt wrote:

Yep Regis, I think you hit its ID right on the head. Since your location shows Idaho, it would not be a nutria as they are much larger and much farther south (LA to be exact.) BTW its a great capture of that normally somewhat shy animal. Thanks for sharing. :) :thumbup:

Thank you, jwt, for your nice reply and knowledge.

Regis Loc: Coeur d' Alene, Idaho

uppics wrote:

did the tail appear to be long and thin; like a rat's tail? i have seen one muskrat; a couple summers ago in the state park near my home. i photographed it as it swimming, went home and looked it up and sure enough.....muskrat. if the tail appeared to look like a rat's tail, then you probably captured a muskrat.

I couldn't see the tail very well but appeared to be long and thin as you described. This is the first time I have shot one of these. I have seen several in this area but they were farther away and I didn't have my camera.

JFO Loc: Oregon

Probably a muskrat or nutria, Regis. Looks too small for even a young beaver. It would be easier to ID if we had a posterior view but you were lucky to get even this shot. My brother who lives on Lake Coeur d'Alene could probably provide a more knowledgeable answer but he has very limited internet service. JFO

Regis Loc: Coeur d' Alene, Idaho

LarryT wrote:

Hi Regis, br My first take on the animal was that ... (show quote)

Thank you, Larry. It appeared to have a rat-like tail and it was not large like a Beaver's tail. This is the first time I have shot this creature up fairly close to me.

Regis Loc: Coeur d' Alene, Idaho

JFO wrote:

Probably a muskrat or nutria, Regis. Looks too small for even a young beaver. It would be easier to ID if we had a posterior view. JFO

Yes, JFO, from what I have been hearing it seems to be a Muskrat. Unfortunately, I had only a few seconds to shoot before it swam away.

Ront53 Loc: Maryland

Muskrat is on the menu at the Wagon Wheel Restaurant in Smyrna, Delaware. My father used to buy them at the local store in Smyrna.

Regis Loc: Coeur d' Alene, Idaho

Ront53 wrote:

Muskrat is on the menu at the Wagon Wheel Restaurant in Smyrna, Delaware. My father used to buy them at the local store in Smyrna.

Wow, I didn't know you could eat those. Interesting. Thank you, Ront53, for your information. We seem to have many of these here in North Idaho, enough to make a good meal.
I have seen these from a distance, especially when I go fishing at our many lakes here.

JFO Loc: Oregon

JWT, We have nutria all over the northwest. They are an even greater environmental nuisance than beavers sometimes are. They made hidden burrows and dens in a retaining dike behind a home in which I once lived and when the creek flooded the water came right through it, leaving us with two feet of water in our lower floor. Gotta love those #*%@#&! nutria. John

jwt Loc: Texas Hill Country

JFO wrote:

JWT, We have nutria all over the northwest. They are an even greater environmental nuisance than beavers sometimes are. They made hidden burrows and dens in a retaining dike behind a home in which I once lived and when the creek flooded the water came right through it, leaving us with two feet of water in our lower floor. Gotta love those #*%@#&! nutria. John

Holy crapola John, I knew they invaded south Louisiana, in fact I used to trap the blasted things as a young lad. I had no idea they moved all the way to the northwest. How on earth did that happen? Well we have huge pythons in the Everglades now, so I guess we are being over-run with all kinds of unwanted stuff. Thanks for the update on the invasive species.

angler Loc: StHelens England

Good shot Regis.

Regis Loc: Coeur d' Alene, Idaho

JFO wrote:

JWT, We have nutria all over the northwest. They are an even greater environmental nuisance than beavers sometimes are. They made hidden burrows and dens in a retaining dike behind a home in which I once lived and when the creek flooded the water came right through it, leaving us with two feet of water in our lower floor. Gotta love those #*%@#&! nutria. John

Sorry to hear about that, John. Fortunately, I am about 2 miles away from a lake and on higher ground. We do have many lakes here in North Idaho where the Beaver, Muskrats, etc. live.