The tracks of muskrats are so characteristic that they cannot be mistaken for those of any other animal. Strangely enough they resemble to a striking degree those of certain types of extinct reptiles called dinosaurs. The tracks of the two small front feet are close together and overlapped somewhat by those of the larger hind feet. Between the tracks is the sinuous trail left by the sharp-edged tail.
Beaver
Castor canadensis (Latin: a beaver ... from Canada)
Range: The beaver, like the muskrat, can be found almost everywhere in North America north of the Mexican border.
Habitat: Near any water supply of enough volume, with or without damming, to provide security for a beaver family.
Description: The largest North American rodent; further distinguished by having a broad flat tail. Total length 34 to 40 inches. Tail 9 to 10 inches. Weight from 30 to 60 pounds. In color the beaver varies from a deep, rich brown in the northern states to a much paler shade in desert regions of the Southwest. The soft, rich underfur is partially concealed by coarse, rather stiff guard hairs. The brown color of the upper parts shades to a chestnut under the belly and on the inner sides of the legs. The forefeet are small with well developed claws. They appear naked but have a scanty cover of coarse hairs. The hind feet are large and webbed, and are similarly covered with a few coarse hairs.
The body of the beaver has somewhat the appearance of a kangaroo in that the rear portion is heavy and appear overdeveloped in comparison with the more stream-lined head and forequarters. Much of this impression is gained from the heavy, flat tail which is thick and muscular at the point where it joins the body. One of the most useful appendages possessed by any creature, the tail is paddled-shaped horizontally and about an inch thick in the middle, tapering to thin edges and tip. It appears naked, but is covered with scales.
The young, averaging four in number, are born in the late spring and, although they are soon able to take care of themselves, the family remains together for most of the year.
Indications of beavers in an area are their dams or the distinctive stumps left by their tree felling. Beaver tracks are seldom found. Although this aquatic animal often leaves the water, and may go a considerable distance overland, its tracks usually are obliterated by the passage of the heavy rump and the dragging tail.
The beaver, perhaps as much as any other factor, was instrumental in opening up western America to civilization. Even before the Thirteen Original Colonies had become firmly established along the eastern seaboard, venturesome men were working westward in search of more beaver to supply the ever-increasing demand for this soft-rich fur. Industrial empires were founded on this traffic in skins which came from as far west as the Mississippi River. By the early 1800’s, the trappers had penetrated to the Rocky Mountains, and in 1806, upon the return of the Lewis and Clark Expedition from the Pacific Northwest, they swarmed to the headwaters of the Missouri River system. Prior to this, the Southwest had been given little attention by the fur industry. It was considered an inhospitable region, inhabited by hostile Indians, and with a few settlements of Spanish colonists who, up to that time, had actively resisted the intrusions of the more aggressive Americans. However, by the year 1820, relations had improved to such a degree that a few of these hardy individuals were trapping on the headwaters of the desert rivers. Later, their activities spread to include the entire length of these remarkable watercourses.