Watch for Muskrats

Watch for the muskrats that occasionally use Minister Lake. This sleek, dark creature is often mistaken for a beaver, but it is smaller (only about half the size of a beaver). A muskrat also has a much thinner tail than a beaver, and it looks very rat-like. Muskrats construct their own homes near the water's edge from aquatic plants like cattails. These lodges look like small heaps of dead plants and provide the muskrats with warmth and protection. Within these lodges, a muskrat usually has over one litter of 1-10 young each summer. These young can swim at just 10 days old, and are on their own after just one month. This means that over the course of a summer, a muskrat can have quite a few young. If you’re lucky you might just catch a peek of one swimming about the lake in search of food.

This member of the rodent family eats mostly plants, and needs to consume about a third of its weight each day in order to survive! As they swim underwater to nibble plant roots, muskrats can hold their breathe for up to 15 minutes. This helpful adaptation allows muskrats to evade predators such as raccoons, minks, and the humans who use their furs.

Did you know?

Muskrats get their name from a gland near their tail that makes a musky secretion. They use this musk to communicate with one another, especially during the mating season.

Learn more: Animal Diversity Web

Strange Creatures on the Forest Floor

Daddy longlegs, also called harvestmen, are fascinating and misunderstood creatures. They are very close relatives to spiders, scorpions, ticks, and mites, and are within the same Arachnida Class. Because of this, daddy longlegs are often mistaken for spiders. So, how can you tell the difference?  Well, if you are willing to take a closer look, you'll find that spiders have two body segments, a head and a fat abdomen, and daddy longlegs have only one rounded body segment. Spiders usually have about 8 eyes, but daddy longlegs have just 2. Also, daddy longlegs typically eat dead and decaying plant and animal matter unlike most spiders. The 8 long legs that this creature gets is name from are sometimes 30 times the size of their bodies. Daddy longlegs are very particular about these appendages and spend a great deal of time cleaning them. If this tiny creature loses a leg, the leg will continue to twitch for some time, possibly distracting predators while the daddy longlegs escapes.

Did you know?

Myth alert! Have you ever heard that the daddy longlegs is the most venomous creature on earth, but its mouth is just too small to harm us? Not true. In fact, a daddy longlegs has no fangs or venom to speak of. They have no need for either, because most of what they eat is already dead.

Learn more: Wisconsin Natural Resources