Muskrat Male Skull Replica

Description

Muskrat male skull replica measures 2.3 x 1.5 x 1.2 inches. The Ondatra skull is a museum-quality polyurethane resin cast from California Academy of Sciences specimen. 2-part skull (separate cranium and mandible). 1:1 scale. Made in USA.

The muskrat lives in wetlands across many different climates. This species is native to North America and an introduced species in parts of Eurasia and South America.

The animal alters wetland ecology in crucial ways. It is also a resource of food and fur for humans.

Muskrat are covered with short, thick fur. The pelt is medium to dark brown or black in color. Their belly turns a partly gray color as age increases and makes the underside look a bit lighter.

The fur has two layers. These layers help protect them from the cold water. They have long tails covered with scales. When they walk on land, their tails drag on the ground.

They are primarily vegetarians that feed mainly on aquatic plants. They use sharp front teeth to eat the roots, stems, and leaves of cattails and water lilies. They also eat wild rice, rushes, pondweed and ferns.

Muskrats build two distinct types of homes depending on their local wetland habitat. In streams and rivers, they use their sharp claws to dig deep burrows into the steep clay banks. In open marshes, they construct dome-shaped lodges that can measure up to eight feet wide.

Scientific Classification

• Kingdom: Animalia
• Phylum: Chordata
• Class: Mammalia
• Order: Rodentia
• Family: Cricetidae
• Subfamily: Arvicolinae
• Genus: Ondatra
• Species: O. zibethicus
• Binomial name: Ondatra zibethicus
• Conservation status: Least concern

A gathering of the North American beaver skull replica, the nutria skull replica, and the American mink skull replica creates an incredible wetland ecology display.