Muskrat

This Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) was enjoying a snack when I found it in the water alongside the boardwalk section of the Cherry Island trail in Lake Erie Metropark. The park is located in a coastal marsh at the mouth of the Detroit River where it flows into Lake Erie. It is a good place to watch waterfowl, but I rarely see other wild animals there, so this encounter was a treat.