Murray 1948 Ondatra zibethica Apr 16 Enroute Cerro Prieto As we passed through cultivated farmland, the road ran beside irrigation ditches. In one saw a muskrat swimming about 1 hour before dark. There was grass on the banks and a few green shrubs, some mesquite. Where we camped beside an irrigation canal we could hear muskrats working. One was under a mass of bamboo cuttings from across the water; made loud sucking noises. There were many mesquites growing along the bank.