Finally Identified My Mysterious Pond Monster / myLot

Beaver Dam, Wisconsin

September 28, 2016 12:51pm CST

I've seen it surface a few times over the past month or so but it never stayed above water long enough for me to get a good look at it so I wasn't sure if it was a large snapping turtle or something else. Today, it finally cooperated with me and, even though I did have to shoot from the hip camera wise (hence the somewhat poor quality), I was able to get a close enough shot of him to figure out it is, in fact, a muskrat. Maybe I'll be lucky enough to get a better photo down the road.

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7 responses

lini b

@teenspirit (1597)

• Israel

29 Sep 16

wow thats strange...!

2 people like this

Steve Helmer

@srhelmer (7029)

• Beaver Dam, Wisconsin

29 Sep 16

I kind of suspected it was a muskrat the last time I saw it because I was sure I saw fur when it dived under water. Otters and beavers wouldn't like this kind of pond because there's no fish but muskrats like the vegetation.

1 person likes this

lini b

@teenspirit (1597)

• Israel

29 Sep 16

@srhelmer maybe

2 people like this

Jo Ann

@akalinus (40440)

• United States

28 Sep 16

When I looked at the photo, I thought it was a beaver. I wonder what the difference is, appearance wise.

2 people like this

Steve Helmer

@srhelmer (7029)

• Beaver Dam, Wisconsin

28 Sep 16

You can't see it in the photo but it has a long-skinny tail. That's why I originally thought it was a large snapping turtle. Beavers, of course, have flat tails.

2 people like this

Jo Ann

@akalinus (40440)

• United States

28 Sep 16

@srhelmer I looked again and can see just the tip slightly above water. Remember that song about Muskrat Sally and Muskrat Sam? The Captain and Tenille sang it. Is there a Mrs. Muskrat in the plot somewhere?

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