Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1912-12-24
o 0cocc o80c 600 9
% .
o MusKRAT STRANGE ANIMAn g
% .
% 700 10000 coccc
From IIarpcr's weekly

From lIarpor's Weekly
The muskrat IL peculiar 70 North
America and Ia nowhere found In tho
/ Old world, The Indnns used its flesh
Tor food, calling It 'musquash," and
also "pccsquaw tupcyew, the animal
that sits upon the ground IN round
/ form This habit of rounding itself
whom sitting IS a distinct characteristic
Of tho muslrat Hunters are free
/ |qucutly unable, In consequence of thls
habit TO distinguish the animal from
/ a clod Of earth.
Another peculiarly Of the muskrat
shared by no other quadrupcd, is rs
/ power OF contracting Itself By thls
means II rs enabled TO creep into "a
hole which a considerably smaller
creature could not enter This fac
|ulty is due 10 the extreme elasticity
of the muakrars ribs ana 10 "a large
muscle lying directly under The skin,
which may bc expanded or contracted
at win.
ln appearance this animal rcsom-
hlcs the common water rat but is
larger It is often as large as q cat
but lts legs are much shorter than
those Of that animal
lls head rs broad and lts eyes arc
small 10 keep out the water thick
fur covers IT'S ears Its tail, two
thirds tho length of the body, is lat
orally compressed ana scaly and Ike
the feet rs perfectly black ana nearly
hairless The hind feet arc wcbhcd,
and 1Il -four feet furnished with claws.
II haas siNtoon teeth The lower teeth
me am inch long; the upper much
shorter
Famous A. An Architect.
AS au architect the muslrat rs all
most os ingenious as the beaver ITS
season for building ls the autumn be-
fore the marshes are frozen over, ana
its foNoritc localities are tho banks of
sluggish streams. marshes ana grassy
saltwater sWamps
When the stream has been chosen
the muskrat burrows many WU.or-
rmeun passages, AN of which slope
upward to % main channel This cham
mel leads TO chamber auatod above
the roach of frcsbcts In tno center
of this chamber beds of grass large
enough to contain several animals are
made ana ON these beds the young
are reared
When a marsh is the spot chosen
FOR it's habltution. tho musl,rot. ororts.
above ground "a conical dwelling from
two to two and ouc-half foot IN diom.
,tcr ana r,,r, tu,, to r,,,r soot Moi,
composed of sticks grass ana tvIps
clustered topethrr with mud ,rbeea
huts. dottipp the marsh loot n a
uttlc distance lu,. r,iri,t,ro b,,..
cocks In salt water marshes they ara
buIu from fortv to fIft, foot fro,n tho
.water's edge IN escsrc tba tlda ard
mr., anurn,cb.d NV snhterroroo, noe.
sagcs similar IN hoso oIroa1, do.
scribed
The musl,rots Ike tho hoavors ,ro
social in their hablts. and several
families occupv one bnuee Tb, nusI,.
rat is nocturnal Althongh u,,ld ~ a..
nature II may bo made os t.rro .,s a
rat but IFS vna,v wing nrononsi,ios ro,,
II undeslrahle os bonseboId o,,n,.
panion.
Icnst SusnIcInus of .,i,n,Is
II IL said tbto Tho rnnst,art 60 tno
least suspicious OF onirnoIs \vtthon,
the slightest hesitation u u,uI sn,,,,
into n tror.a u,o o,t,a,,., ~, 49,,
row. ana if the tram ho nromn,i,
emitted nnd reset os mapv as oi,ht
musl,rats may he t,i,or ,n ein,,o
might
The soason for ,,,surot bur+i,a,o
gins I'm Decerhor u.hon ,ho -,
are frozen over Unlcs, ma hanaos
Are concealed NV snow tbo ohoea ,na,,
continue untu Nav WHEN Nam,
warm weather cornos ,ho anIr,o' 49,
gins IA shed lts Mil coat an,, ,,,a s,,-
ls no longer ,,Iuable
In many marta n, mo oo,,,t,.,. ,,,,.,,
r,t bprtinr 10 ho,1 ~ ~ ,,,,
- ~ W. "'''"