Muskrat love at McEuen
Courtesy photo Tom Torgerson spotted this muskrat under a car near McEuen Park late last week.
A Coeur d’Alene resident documented an unusual sight at McEuen Park: a muskrat.
Tom Torgerson shared a photo on Facebook of a muskrat underneath a car late last week.
“Just another muskrat at the McEuen parking lot,” he wrote.
Muskrats are medium-sized rodents that spend much of their time in water and live off plants. The average adult muskrat is about four times heavier than a common rat, but not much longer; about half the muskrat’s length is made up of its tail.
Muskrats are native to North America and can be spotted year-round in the Gem State, according to the Idaho Department of Fish and Game.
However, Coeur d’Alene Parks and Recreation Director Bill Greenwood said a muskrat sighting in a parking lot is unusual, since the creatures prefer areas like wetlands, ponds and lakes.
“They usually stick around the water’s edge,” he said.
Though muskrats are sometimes mistaken for marmots, which are more commonly seen in the area, Greenwood said he agreed that the animal in Torgerson’s photo appeared to be a muskrat.
He added that he has never seen a muskrat in McEuen Park.