Muskrat In A Small Pond

Last year I observed a pond for several months, and saw numerous muskrats building their "lodges" and eating the aquatic grass that grows in the pond. 
The following photos are of the first one that I have seen so far this year.  It is harvesting dried cattail stalks and taking them to its' lodge, perhaps to create a dry sleeping and birthing chamber for the soon to be born young...

Muskrats have been, and still are, hunted and trapped since colonial times for their fur and meat.  These small, brown aquatic rodents can create problems for landowners when they take up residence in ponds.  Their bank lodges often undermine the land and cause erosion and other problems.  Like most wildlife, they are interesting and entertaining to watch.