Muskrat

Common muskrat Ondatra zibethica

Description

A large aquatic rodent (Ondata zibethicus) native to North America, but introduced to Eurasia in the 1900s. Muskrats have thick gold-, black- or brown-color fur with lighter colors on its belly. The short, soft underfur is heavily overlaid with long, stiff, dark guard hairs. Muskrat furs were popular for coats in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Muskrat furs are sometimes sheared and dyed to resemble seal fur.

Synonyms and Related Terms

Ondatra zibethicus; musquash; marsh rabbit; river mink; Hudson seal (sheared and dyed fur); Bisamratte (Deut.); Bisam (Deut.); rat musqu (Fr.); muskusrat (Ned.); bisamrotte (Nor.); pimak (Pol.);

Additional Images

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  Muskrat

Authority

• Encyclopedia Britannica, http://www.britannica.com Comment: "muskrat." Encyclopdia Britannica. 2005. Encyclopdia Britannica Premium Service 21 Jan. 2005 .

• Edward Reich, Carlton J. Siegler, Edward Reich, Carlton J. Siegler, Consumer Goods: How to Know and Use Them, American Book Company, New York City, 1937

• Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, at http://www.wikipedia.com Comment: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muskrat (accessed Sept.7, 2005)