Beaver, or Muskrat?

[grouseking]

I took these down on Plum Island. At first I thought it was a beaver...esp since I saw what I thought was beaver activity nearby...but then it was suggested that it could be a muskrat.

Pics are a little cruddy


Two of them

 

[Tom Rankin]

I vote Beaver.

 

[grouseking]

Pic of a beaver
http://www.kdwp.state.ks.us/var/new...ng-US/beaver_castor_canadensis_imagelarge.jpg

Muskrat
http://eliot.needham.k12.ma.us/technology/lessons/animals/images/muskrat1.jpg

hmmm....

 

[DougPaul]

There is a flat tail visible in the first picture: beaver.

Doug

 

[nartreb]

I vote muskrat, for three reasons (none conclusive):

1) pale patch under nose

2) Beaver fur is very glossy; these look a little unkempt

3) It looks like they were aware of you. If these were beavers, odds are at least one was a male, and would have given an unmistakeable audible signal of beaverhood.

 

[nartreb]

There is a flat tail visible in the first picture: beaver.

Doug

Well shucks. (I don't see it, but I can't see the photo full-size while at work)

 

[Toe Cozy]

I vote muskrat too for all the reasons nartreb suggests. Doug Paul...you really see a flat tail clearly, identifiably in that first picture? I can't seem to make that out. I can't conclusively identify any particular type of tail from that picture.

 

[giggy]

Boston sewer rat?

 

[JohnL]

I'd vote for Muskrat. The beavers I saw in Thornton were much darker and had fur that was more oily than the animals in your three photos. http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/2942339350027359582BpJzbY?vhost=outdoors

I don't see a tail either. I see a reflection of the animal in the water between the animal and the photographer but no tail.

JohnL

 

[kevinmac]

From Mass Wildlife-Beaver vs Muskrat

http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/wildlife/facts/mammals/beaver/beaver_natural_history.htm

"Description --Beavers are North America's largest native rodents, weighing between 35 and 80 pounds as adults. They can be 2-3 feet in length, with an additional 10-18 inches for the tail. Males and females are similar in size. Beavers typically have a dark brown to reddish brown fur coat. They are muscular animals with large bones, well-developed incisors, and a massive skull that supports strong chewing muscles. In order to move swiftly in water, beavers have large, webbed hind feet and a flat, wide leathery tail. Their front feet are small and dexterous, which allows the beaver to carry construction material such as stones and sticks. An animal often mistaken for the beaver is the much smaller muskrat, which is another aquatic rodent. However, muskrats only weigh 2-3 pounds and have narrow, rat-like tail."

Also See: http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/wildlife/facts/mammals/beaver/pdf/beavers_in_mass.pdf

 

[kevinmac]

Tail doesn't look like beaver and beaver are less apt to come out in middle of the day

 

[ColdRiverRun]

There is a flat tail visible in the first picture: beaver.

Doug

I see what I think your referring to Doug and I think that is not its tail. If you look its spine is twisting down and to the right, especially at the bottom, yet that "tail" looking thing goes to the left. They use them like rudders.

I think there Muskrats. Muskrats also have tails similar to a Beaver but it is thinner and longer with a more dorsal/ventral line where a beavers goes lateral. If you look at the third pic that's what I see.

Similar to what Natreb said, Muskrats have very long guard hairs that are very dark and oily looking. I've skinned quite a few and it seems that's what I'm seeing here.

 

[DougPaul]

I see what I think your referring to Doug and I think that is not its tail.

I looked again at the high-res picture. There is either a beaver tail or some reeds are outlining a very beaver tail-like shape behind the animal in question.

And yes it does look like the posterior portion of the animal's spine is twisted away from the tail-like object.

Doug

 

[grouseking]

The more I think about it, the more I believe it is a muskrat. Before I took those pics, I was taking a video of the two, when one happened to jump on top of the other and well...making muskrat love. Then they noticed we were around and one swam away, later followed by the other.

grouseking

 

[grouseking]

The plot thickens

This may be a concidence....

http://www.newburyportnews.com/punews/local_story_102222150.html

grouseking

 

[stu]

Muskrats!

Yea, definitely muskrats.
Although it is now politically incorrect, when I was a kid we use to trap them for the fur. I have seen and handled hundreds. They are very active, day and night, after the ice goes out.

Cheers, Stu

 

[Fitz]

Leave it to

okay, I zoomed and think scrat.

 

[Puck]

Although it is now politically incorrect,

It is only politically incorrect if the fur trapper is strictly from commercial.

 

[woodsxc]

I think it's a muskrat. Doesn't look quite right for a beaver.

 

[Little Rickie]

Being a beaver lover...I'd have to say that is one ugly looking beaver.

It must be a muskrat.