The world is so big that there are all kinds of strange things. There are all kinds of strange creatures in nature. There are some animals that are often considered to be mutated individuals because of their weird appearance.
Recently, villagers in the Tunliu District of Changzhi, Shanxi Province discovered a strange animal. According to the villager's description, he suddenly saw a huge rat in the wild and was startled. But upon closer inspection, I found that this "big rat" was a little different from common rats.
First of all, apart from being larger than ordinary mice, the most obvious difference is its tail. The tail of this animal is like a snake. Secondly, its claws are like bird claws, and there is a pair of claws in its mouth. Sharp front teeth.
This is also the first time that villagers have seen it Such a strange "big rat" reminds me of the mutated animals that often appear in movies and TV dramas. So is this animal a rat that mutated due to some kind of radiation? The villagers were puzzled and contacted the relevant local departments.
After receiving the call for help, the staff quickly rushed to the scene. After careful identification, they found that it was a wild animal whose scientific name is muskrat. Its typical characteristics are bird-like claws and a snake-like tail. Although it belongs to the same rodent species as mice, it is not a mutated mouse.
Born with a strange appearance, it is often mistaken for a mutant rat
The muskrat is the only species in the genus Muskrat of the family Hamsteridae. It is larger than ordinary hamsters and even larger than voles. When it reaches adulthood, it can weigh 1.5-2.4 pounds and looks like a big mouse.
The velvet on the muskrat is dense, the color of the back is chestnut yellow or brown-black, and the hair on the abdomen is brown-gray. Because of its fine fur, the muskrat has naturally become a very precious small fur animal.
The muskrat looks like a "Complex", it has a mouse-like body, a snake-like tail, a brown-black tail with scaly skin, and a bird-like frontClaw, born with such a strange appearance, is often thought to be a mutated rat.
The mouth of a muskrat is round and blunt, and the incisors are exposed outside the lip. They are long and sharp, and are light yellow or dark yellow. Don't underestimate the muskrat's incisors, these "big buck teeth" can be of great use.
In the wild, the muskrat is a master of construction. It will choose a suitable place, crush hay with its front teeth, and then mix it with soil to build its own nest. As for how the muskrat will build its burrow, it depends on individual differences or the mood at the time.
Some muskrats will simply dig a burrow with two exits. Some muskrats are more industrious and dig luxurious burrows with many internal chambers, extending in all directions, as well as granaries.
Having semi-webbed hind toes, they are good swimmers
In our eyes, mice are quite agile animals and they move very quickly. However, muskrats are very clumsy on land and move very inflexibly, so muskrats are generally active at dusk or at night.
This is what muskrats look like on land The performance, however, is completely different when entering the water. The muskrat in the water seems to transform into an otter, swinging flexibly and swimming quickly, using its long tail to propel its body forward.
The reason why the muskrat is so good at swimming can actually be seen from its hind limbs. The back half of the muskrat's hind toes is webbed, but it is different from the webbing of a duck's paw. It is commonly known as "semi-webbed", which shows how strong its swimming ability is. In some places, muskrats are also called water rats and water rats.
Muskrats have two special abilities. One is their noses, with nostrils in the shape of a "7", which can inhale the remaining oxygen in the breath they have just exhaled, which allows muskrats to swim in the water. Stay longer.
Research has found that muskrats have extremely strong diving abilities. They usually do not emerge for two or three minutes, and can hold their breath for 5 minutes or up to 7 minutes when encountering enemies.
Another ability is to be able to eat in the water. Generally speaking, when most animals eat in the water, a large amount of water will enter the mouth, nose, etc., but the muskrat does not have this problem, mainly because it The front teeth are on the outside and the mouth can be closed behind the teeth.
The male animal has scent glands in its body, which can produce muskrat scent
Muskrats are also called "muskrats" among the people. They have well-developed "scent glands". Male muskrats produce muskrat scent every year. During the breeding season, this "scent gland" secretes a strong aromatic muskrat scent., these muskrat incense can replace musk as a traditional Chinese medicine, and is also a raw material for making high-end perfumes.
Muskrats’ sense of sight and smell are not very developed, but they can definitely smell such a strong smell, so it can be used to mark territories, warn competitors of the same type, and communicate between species. Generally speaking, starting in March, the "scent glands" of male muskrats will begin to secrete muskrat scent, thereby attracting females.
Muskrats are very dependent on water, so they usually hang out near water and often build their nests near the water, in reeds and grass.
Muskrats are very adaptable and do not have very high requirements for the temperature and humidity of the environment. They can survive well in the cold and dry north or the warm and humid south. Some clever muskrats will also find abandoned nutria nests and claim them as their own.