A mid-autumn night finds a muskrat carrying home a mouthful of pond weeds. The weeds have thinned out now and the water is clear of algae. You can easily see the stones and autumn leaves a foot below the surface in this flash picture. While muskrat tails appear rat-like when they are swimming along the surface, they are actually more like rudders. They are rounded on the top, but extend an inch or so downward into the water for their entire length so they help propel them. Muskrats swim at a pretty good speed. One fellow I met while watching them told me his kids call them “motorboats” because they putt right along.
Just getting his greens, I think.