John Daniels, age 15, of Eugene, Ore., for his question:
How do you care for baby muses?
Some weeks ago, John adopted an orphaned muskrat whose family had been cruelly slaughtered by a dog. By now, the orphan baby will be a muskrat teenager, able to cope with life in and out of a watery pond or stream, The furry muskrat is a gentle member of the large rodent clan. He has little round ears and a blunt nose set off with whiskers. Fully grown he may be a foot long, plus eight inches of stringy tail. His dark coat comes in two layers. Some of the hairs form a dense, thick under coat, Some grow long and silky to form a glossy outer coat which easily sheds the water.
The muskrat’s life is centered around the water. His back paws are webbed and he is an excellent swimmer and diver. The front door to his burrow is usually, though not always, under water for reasons of safety. The burrow slopes up to a warm cozy den, which is high and dry above the water level. Sometimes a muskrat builds a pile of mud in a marsh or pond and covers it with a high mound of mud and sticks. Inside the mound he makes several rooms for sleeping and food storage, A tunnel in the floor leads down into the water.
The babies are born in a nursery inside the cozy den. There may be a dozen of them, all blind and helpless. Since they are mammals, the infants are fed on mother's milk. In a month or so, they are ready to take their first outing. As a rule, it is Mrs. Muskrat who teaches the little darlings to feed and fend for themselves, but sometimes Mr. Muskrat also helps with their education.
The children will be taught to swim and dive, They will be shown how and where to find water plants, which form their main diet. They will eat the roots, stems and leaves, plus a few land plants growing near the water.
They also trill learn to catch and eat clams and a few insects. If the season is right, the little fellows will learn that fruit is also good to eat. At the age of six months, the furry brood will be grown up and all ready to leave home,
John had been studying his muskrat family for some weeks before tragedy struck them. The little orphan had made several trips with his parents into the watery world. He would no longer need mothers milk and he might even remember some of the things his parents taught him to eat. His food would be mainly water weeds taken fresh from his native pond, plus a few insects and maybe a little fruit.
The greatest problem in caring for a muskrat, however, would be his living quarters, For 3.n order to feel at home, he needs both a dark, dry den and a sizable stretch of water. Maybe you could place his box near his native pond and build an underwater wire fence to give him a safe swimming pool. The muskrat is a creature of the wilds and caring for him is not an easy job. In any case, it is wise to give him his freedom when he is six months old.