Beaver vs Muskrat – Building to Survive?
Beavers and muskrats are two iconic North American mammals, both found in a variety of habitats across the continent. They are both considered integral members of their respective ecosystems, but when it comes to adaptation and survival, their stories differ. Beavers build dams and lodges to survive, while muskrats weave houses from the aquatic vegetation of marshy lakes and waterways. Each species’ dwellings are impressive in their own right, but are they truly essential for the animals’ survival?
Dam Building Nature: Beaver
Beaver lodges and dams have long been a subject of fascination, and a symbol of the species’ resourcefulness and cleverness. Lodge building is a unique behavior seen exclusively in North American beavers and a few select species in other parts of the world. A beaver lodge typically consists of several chambers connected by a submerged underwater entrance. The outer chamber is often filled with twigs, sticks, and mud, and serves as a sleeping area for the beaver and its family. The inner chambers often contain food stores, such as freshly cut branches.
Owing to the beaver’s strong sense of territory, beavers will often construct dams as a means of protection from predators. Beavers are also known to engineer their environment to create ideal aquatic habitats, such as shallow ponds and wetlands, for foraging and protection. Dams help regulate the water level of these areas and create habitats for a variety of vegetation and animals.
Floating House Makers: Muskrat
Muskrats, by contrast, build stick-and-weave houses known as “push-ups” or “houses.” These houses are typically made from uncut marsh reeds, cattails, and other aquatic vegetation, and are constructed around a mud and soil base. The roof of the muskrat house is typically made of vegetation and mud, and is open at the sides. Construction can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, and the design of the home is often personalized by the muskrat.
Unlike beavers, muskrats do not seem to use their homes as a means of protection from predators. While beavers often create dams to mark their territory, muskrats are apparently more nomadic and do not appear to be as concerned with marking their territory as the beaver.
Benefits of Building Structures
Beavers and muskrats both construct impressive dwellings for protection, foraging, and shelter. For beavers, the benefit of building dams is twofold; they initially build them for protection from predators, and then later use them to maintain aquatic habitats. Dams help beavers create the ideal environment for foraging, and for breeding and raising offspring.
Muskrats, on the other hand, use houses to create a comfortable and sheltered home in the marshy areas they inhabit. Push-ups and houses offer protection from predation, a shelter from extreme temperatures, and an elevated spot to survey the area. To muskrats, their dwelling is a form of den where they can find rest, bask in the sun, and even store extra food stores.
Conclusion
It is evident that both beaver and muskrat take advantage of their environment by building remarkable dwellings; beavers build dams and lodges and muskrats use stick-and-weave houses. The beavers’ construction of dams, however, marks them out as particularly impressive engineers, as the ability to engineer their environment to create ideal aquatic habitats requires a greater level of intelligence than merely weaving a roof from vegetation. That said, both beaver and muskrat lodges can be testament to the animals’ resourcefulness, offering protection from predators and harsh weather and creating an ideal habitat for foraging and raising offspring.