Ondaters biography

The birthplace of these unique semi -water rodents is considered to be a territory extending from Alaska to Mexico. The first few dozen individuals were imported and released into the reservoirs of Europe in the year.

On the territory of the USSR, they appeared only in the year. The cause of the resettlement of animals by man was their beautiful fur. This creation is also known as a musk rat. For a long time, the ondatra was perhaps the main target of fishing hunting, since it has a high ability to adapt to new environments and at the same time is rapidly breed, resuming its population in a record time.

Since the ondatra looks and it looks like some people confuse these animals. Although they are representatives of the rodent family, they still belong to different childbirths. The origin of the species and description of the ondatra first appeared in North America, from where she gradually migrated to Europe, Asia and Russia. Moreover, in most cases, a person brought it on the territory, and the mammal was perfectly adapted to surrounding conditions.

The animal is a rodent representing the only species of the ondatur. It leads a half -water lifestyle, spending time both on land and in swamps, rivers, lakes. An interesting fact: the muskrats descended from the fields, initially they led a ground lifestyle and were small sizes. But gradually the rodents became larger, and their body adapted to the water. Since the muskrats gradually began to settle at the ponds, their body began to change.

The beast has membranes on the hind legs, moisture -resistant wool, flat bald tail and jaw, which allows you to snack rods. The appearance and features of the appearance of the ondatra resembles a rat, but significantly exceeds its size. The weight of the rodent can reach up to one and a half kilograms, the length of the case is the cm, and the tail - see the body of the animal oval, with a short neck.

At the end is a slightly elongated head. Interesting fact: Ondatra has a second name. According to some features of appearance, one can guess that the ondatra spends a lot of time in the water. Her ears are almost invisible and hidden under a layer of fur, which protects them from moisture penetration. The eyes are small and located high. The incisors are located much closer to the upper lip than the rest of the teeth, and peek out from under it.

Thanks to this, the ondatra can use them under water to heat the branches and stems. The tail of the rodent practically does not contain wool, but covered with scales. This helps to stay afloat and it is better to maneuver. There are five fingers on the hind legs, there are membranes between them. The body is covered with long tough hair, soft wool grows under them. Most individuals have brown-black color on the back and light on the belly.

The beast fur is thick, which is why it is waterproof. In the summer, under the influence of sunlight, it brightens. An ondatra is a clean animal, therefore it constantly monitors itself, combed and lubricated with fat, which is distinguished from its body. The rodent adapted to the semi -water lifestyle not only thanks to appearance, but also to the body. Being under water, he can regulate blood circulation in the body and limbs, thereby controlling the internal temperature.

In the ondaters, hemoglobin and myoglobin are always in a great concentration, which helps to receive more oxygen. Thanks to this, they can be under water for minutes. Also, the ondatra is characterized by the phenomenon of heterothermia, that is, the ability to adjust the blood flow to the paws and tail. Paws are usually colder than the rest of the body. What the body of the body looks thick, the neck looks thick, the neck is short, the head is small, the muzzle is dumb.

The animal is perfectly adapted anatomically to the semi -water lifestyle. The ears protrude a little from fur, the eyes are small, planted high. The teeth of the teeth surround the incisors and separate them from the oral cavity, thanks to this the animal bakes the plants under water and does not choke. The tail tail on the sides is flat, its surface is covered with small scales and hairs, on the bottom there is a comb of long hard hair.

On the hind legs there are swimming membranes, short hairs grow along the edges of the fingers. Outwardly, men's individuals of the ONDATRA do not differ from female. All of them grow to the same dimensions and gain the same mass. Wool in both sexes of the same color. The only differences can be seen in the features of the behavior of individuals after the appearance of offspring.

What is logical, the female first does not leave the den and cares about the cubs. The male’s shoulders lies with the obligation to extract food and protect the family. But when the animals are growing up, the roles change. The head of the pack is engaged in the training of young animals, and the female devotes more time to replenish the reserves and maintaining the den in order.

The habitat of the muskrats, due to the lifestyle of the ondatra, settles near the freshwater reservoirs. With rare exception, an individual can organize a lair next to a slightly salty lake. But the rodent never settles in a place where there is no vegetation. He is also not interested in water bodies that completely freeze in winter.The appearance of the dwelling of the ondatra can be different and depends on the surrounding conditions.

She is capable of both a deep hole and construct a certain semblance of a house from branches and straw. If the coast of the reservoir is high, and there is little vegetation near it, then most likely the animal will dig underground tunnels, and the entrance to them will be under water. Otherwise, it will try to accommodate on the surface, hiding in reeds. Although the ondatra spends a lot of time in the water, it holds the nest completely dry.

Roya Nora, the rodent tries to pave it in such a way that the den is not flooded under any conditions. For safety reasons, the animal even makes additional rooms. They are needed in order for water to accumulate in them, and not in the dwelling, if a flood occurs suddenly. What does the ondatra eat? The main part of the diet of the muskrats is various plants that are near its den. The beast can eat grass, roots and fruits.

Basically, the rodent prefers juicy stems of reeds, sedges, horsetails and other similar herbs. If the thickets of those are absent in proximity, the roots of shrubs can be used. An interesting fact: in addition to the plant food of the ondatra, it can also eat small fish, frog and other small creatures that can be caught. In the winter, the obsidatra has to show real ingenuity in order to avoid hunger.

The animal does not make stocks in advance, so even in the cold months it feeds on what can be found. For example, the underwater entrance to the hole can be located next to the deposits of algae, which serve as food in this period. And if things with food are completely unimportant, the ondatra can begin to eat its own hole, in which there are always enough branches and straw. However, in this case, the animal risks the risk of freezing when especially strong colds.

There were also situations when people went to winter fishing, caught large fish for live bait, and the rodent tore the bait directly from the hook. With the onset of spring, the ondaters switch to green foliage, eating it in large quantities. And closer to spring, the diet is mainly root. If there is a village near the reservoir, then the animal will not deny himself the pleasure of climbing in someone’s garden and have a bite to eat with vegetables.

Ondatra prefers to extract food on proven routes. If you need to collect food under water, the rodent rarely sails further than m from its hole. How much ondaters live in nature and in captivity in the will of the ondatra is able to live up to 3 years. A fairly active lifestyle, long-term underwater swimming and the need to be in a continuous search for food wear the animal’s body, which is why the individual may well be considered old by two and a half years.

In captivity, with proper care, the life expectancy of the muskrats increases significantly and reaches 10 years. This is due to the fact that she does not need to independently seek food and put herself at risk. The characteristics of the ondatra are most active in the onset of darkness in the morning. However, she is not one of those animals that are heated all day in the sun.

The rest of the day, the animal is also engaged in the collection of food and the construction of the dwelling. In the first month of spring, the ondaters are divided into pairs. The male and the female together equip the lair, where the cubs will subsequently appear. In the process of work, the male individual marks the territory within radius M so that other rodents do not occupy it.

The muskrats have weak vision, their sense of smell is also far from the ideal. Because of this, they sometimes have problems with orientation on land, and they can become prey for predators. But rodents have an ideal hearing. In water, the ondaters feel more comfortable. They swim well and can quickly maneuver, getting to the target. Natural enemies, since muskrats are numerous species, they are included in the diet of many predators, for example, raccoon, otter, raccoon dog, sipuhi, moon, alligator, pike.