What exactly is the mysterious creature “Water Monkey”?

In our country, various versions of the "water monkey" legend have been circulating. Director Fox of the National Geographic Media Center also became an Internet celebrity for refuting various "water monkey" rumors.

In addition to my country, are there any other countries with "water monkey" legends? Of course! There is a "water monkey" in the United States. It is a muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) that nibbles aquatic plants in the wetlands.

"Water Monkey" has arrived. Image source: GBIF

The muskrat is the only member of the genus Muskrat in the subfamily Cricetinae of the family Cricetidae. It can also be said to be the largest hamster in the world. It is 20-35 cm long, has a long tail, brown fur, a round body, and a paddle-shaped tail. Its hind feet are webbed, and its front feet have toes, making it look like a beaver with a stretched and narrowed tail.

Please look carefully at its big tail. Image source: GBIF

Because male muskrats use a very strong smell to mark their territory, they are named "Muskrat", which means musky rat.

Because they are too similar to the "water monkey" in folklore, they are often spoofed by some marketing accounts as "water monkeys" for promotion. People once regarded them as dangerous animals, but in fact, muskrats are very docile and will not attack humans or other animals at will.

Muskrats live in ponds and streams, and can even be found on the coast or in rivers with sulfur (sulfur). They are good swimmers and can dive into the water to find food, which is why they are also called swamp squirrels.

Muskrats build nests with cattails and mud, and sometimes use old nests of North American beavers (Castor canadensis), so some muskrats live in "beaver communities." Muskrats build their nests in reed marshes, which are very similar to beaver nests. The entrance of the nest is in the water, and the nest is very breathable, allowing them to breathe even when the water freezes in winter.

Nest, Image source: GBIF

The internal structure of a muskrat nest. Image source: Exploring nature

The female muskrat can give birth to two pups per litter. Aquatic plants such as cattails, crayfish and other aquatic animals are the main food of muskrats. Coyotes (Canis latrans), wolves (Canis lupus), mustelids and large owls are the natural enemies of muskrats, which will catch muskrat pups. Muskrat is often active at dusk and at night to avoid natural enemies. However, it sometimes goes out during the day.

Muskrat baby, Image source: Pinterest

Muskrat's natural habitat is the United States (all states), Canada (except Newfoundland), and northern Mexico. Later, it was introduced to my country as a fur animal, but due to improper management, it escaped into the wild. Some people even encountered them in the ponds of Beijing Wetland Park, so Muskrat was also included in the "Beijing Terrestrial Wildlife List".

In addition to my country, wild populations of muskrats have also been established in Japan and Europe. Due to the excessive number of muskrats, the Danish government once ordered the killing of muskrats. But even so, muskrats still gain a foothold in "abroad" and become an invasive species with a thriving population.

Muskrat distribution area, red is the native area, green is the introduced area, image source: Wikipedia

In the culture of the Canadian Aboriginal people, muskrats are the mother of mankind, because the Aboriginal people believe that water is the origin of life, and muskrats live in water. In other North American cultures, muskrats are also given the symbol of luck. In the era of the fur trade, muskrats, along with beavers and sea otters (Enhydra lutris), once appeared in major trading markets as fur animals. The fur trade has made a great contribution to the history of the United States and Canada.

What should we do if we are lucky enough to encounter this "water monkey"? If we are just in the wild in Beijing, we should keep a safe distance from them, observe them quietly for a while, and then say byebye quietly, because muskrats are timid by nature, and if the sound is too loud, it will scare them away directly.

But in North America, especially Canada, muskrats often run into garages in the middle of the night to "haunt" and are very scary. Although they will not cause any harm to people, their "magic output" is still very strong. If you encounter a "water monkey" patrolling, you can only call the Wildlife Management Bureau and ask the administrator to take the muskrat away and release it in an area far away from humans.

The weak, pitiful and helpless muskrat, photo source: aiwc.ca

In addition, we also have the responsibility to control alien species, not release them into the wild, and correctly promote scientific knowledge.

We also need to make our family and friends realize that alien species not only have a cute appearance, but they also have greater or lesser destructive power on native species and nature. Only in this way can we better protect our native species.

Audit expert: He Jiale, project officer of WWF Northeast resident team

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