I've been watching the muskrat lodges at the marsh for signs of activity, and this morning I was finally rewarded. This fellow was enjoying a mid-morning snack of its favourite food - cattails - in the marshy area on the town side of the railway bed. It then moved to another spot, scratched an itch, and then - appeared to stand on its head! I couldn't figure out what it was doing, and then it came to me. These are 'musk-rats'. They have two musk glands at the base of their tails, and especially during breeding season, the males spray the musk to mark their territories. Now, how many people have seen a muskrat mark its territory?? Not many, I'll wager.
I suspect you're right about that. I'd never thought about the name, but thank you for filling us in. I'll be watching for that behavior.
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