Subject: Re: Montlake mammals
Date: Jun 3 14:46:53 1996
From: Dennis Paulson - dpaulson at mirrors.ups.edu


>I'm taking a chance here, but in an hour or so I should have my slides
>back from the lab with a couple of shots that might reveal just what this
>furry critter is. I'll keep you posted. By the way, just what does a
>nutria look like (you know, size, shape, etc.)?
>wjansen
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>On Mon, 3 Jun 1996, Doug Dorer wrote:
>
>> One evening last week, at dusk, I watched a mammal swimming and feeding
>> for several minutes in the Shoveler Pond at Montlake. I believe it was a
>> nutria (certainly not a beaver or otter!), though I don't have any
>> experience distinguishing nutria and muskrats. This animal gave me the
>> impression of being like an aquatic marmot.
>>
>> Doug Dorer

A nutria is a big fat rat with a thick round tail; big as the average cat.
The snout looks square and is often grizzled with paler fur. A muskrat is
about half the body bulk of a nutria, with a laterally compressed tail that
it uses to scull. Nutrias don't use their tails like that, as far as I
know. I've seen muskrats in the ponds at the fill.

A nutria is just about the size of a small marmot, a muskrat much smaller.
If anyone knows the song "Muskrat Love," you'll know what muskrats are
like.

Dennis Paulson, Director phone 206-756-3798
Slater Museum of Natural History fax 206-756-3352
University of Puget Sound e-mail dpaulson at ups.edu
Tacoma, WA 98416