Category Archives: mammals

  These images were taken during the same event as the previously posted muskrat’s kiss. Midst its feeding, the muskrat climbed out and preened — almost as if it were doing callisthenics.  The first step is to shake off the … Continue reading →

  I went for the beaver; I stayed for the muskrat. Beavers and muskrats are known to share lodges carved into the bank of a stream or lake. It seems that they not only tolerate each another, but even share … Continue reading →

  The mule deer is not seen as often at the valley bottoms as is the white-tailed deer. Among its distinguishing features are its largish ears (after which it is named), and a white black-tipped rope-like tail. The mule deer … Continue reading →

  Everyone is familiar with beavers damming creeks so as to get an adequate water depth around their lodges. However if the water is already deep (or fast flowing), beavers will build their lodges by burrowing into the bank. Any … Continue reading →

  Antlers are grown afresh each year, and, for white-tailed deer, April is the month for bucks to start that growth.  Today, some white-tailed bucks stopped by in the rain, and as they tipped their heads down to graze, they … Continue reading →

  One does not often see wild mammals during the winter — that is, leaving aside the two staples: red squirrels and white-tailed deer. Each of these were photographed during the recent week in my yard. The third mammal, a … Continue reading →

  Early in the spring, young muskrats start wandering in search of mates and new nesting sites. So, for the next couple of months, muskrats may be seen straying beyond their characteristic waterways. The muskrat sometimes gets a bad rap: … Continue reading →