Here's part two of "Muskrat's Bathtime." He finishes up the beautification process and then leaves the area after marking his territory. It's pretty interesting, really. Check it out. :)
Tags: muskrat wild animal wildlife outdoors nature wilderness habitat behavior bath bathing scent marking territory woods trees shore forest lake kayaking kayak
Have you ever wanted to know what a muskrat looks like up close? Or, lost sleep wondering how a muskrat washes those pesky, hard-to-reach areas? Yes? Well, you're in luck! Seriously, check out this video...it's a one-in-a-million shot and adorable to boot. Enjoy!
Tags: muskrat wild animal wildlife behavior bathing bath outdoors nature habitat conservation woods lake shoreline kayak kayaking trees
A beaver's bath was interrupted by a muskrat invader...or something like that. *grin* This is a continuation of the clip "Chunky Beaver Bathtime." I'd been sitting and watching this chubby beaver cleaning himself for a while, when he just up and left (after grabbing a choice stick). As I was watching him swim off, I felt something over my right shoulder and spun the camera around to discover a muskrat coming in for a landing. Very interesting! Apologies for the poor quality of the clip...it ...
Tags: beaver muskrat wild animal wildlife behavior habitat conservation swim swimming eating bath bathing lake woods forest outdoors nature kayak kayaking
I hope the rolls of fat can be seen by everyone...this beaver was a chunky little guy! He was also very meticulous in making sure every square inch of himself had been washed. Cute! I apologize for the low quality of this footage. It was nearing sundown (so not enough light) and I hadn't mastered the zoom function yet. It seemed to be bath night in the woods that evening...be sure to check out our Muskrat Bathtime footage too...much better quality (better light, better focus)....
Tags: beaver wild animal wildlife habitat behavior conservation wilderness outdoors nature trees water lake bath bathing kayak kayaking forest woods
Here's some video for those who are curious and most especially animal scientists....of a very healthy beaver dining on a wind-downed tree. A strong storm from a few days prior to this piece knocked down everything from small limbs to entire trees in this conservation area. The animals, beavers especially, were enjoying the wreckage. Note: Date in credits should read June 17th, 2009
Tags: beaver wild animal wildlife behavior habitat conservation outdoors nature wilderness trees forest woods lake eating kayak kayaking
I obtained a huge amount of footage of this fellow! He tolerated me...watched me float up, practically grinned when I got stuck on a fallen tree and then had to reposition the kayak, acted bored as I pulled out the camera....and then got a muscle cramp.... Anyway! This beaver was VERY easy-going, to say the least. Usually my animal subjects will get sick of me and leave before I'm done filming. This guy...well...I gave up WAY before he did. There's only so much chewing a person can watch ...
Tags: beaver wild animal behavior habitat wildlife wilderness conservation nature outdoors trees lake eating fat kayak kayaking
This little guy knew I was there, and he knew I knew he was there...so I'm not sure what all the sneakiness was about here. *grin* I was doubly lucky to shoot this small clip. Just a minute or so before, I'd been paddling around a small island into this narrow channel and came almost face to face with this masked cutey. After backing away a safe distance, I shot some awesome footage of this show-off...or I thought I did. After he climbed up the bank and disappeared into the foliage, I ...
Tags: raccoon wild animal wildlife behavior habitat conservation outdoors nature kayak kayaking forest lake
The stupid kayaker in this video was.....moi. I ran into this otter and his mate a bit before this clip was shot. At that time, I'd received loud and clear warning from this fellow to leave his area. So...I did. When I did though, I continued on my outting which led to the far back of this wildlife area, instead of leaving it entirely. This meant I had to pass back by where this little guy had been raising such a fuss, to get out. I figured he'd be long gone when I paddled back through. Nope ...
Tags: otter wild animal wildlife nature behavior habitat wilderness outdoors kayak kayaking lake
I'd been kayaking in a favorite conservation area about midday when I stumbled upon this fellow and his mate (not pictured). He carried on long enough to give her plenty of time to escape the scary human (me.) This wasn't the first family of otters I'd seen in W. Central Missouri this year...but, it was one of the smaller groups both in members and body size. Be sure to check out our "Angry Otter" video...it's what happens when you don't leave an area quick enough after having been warned ...
Tags: otter wildlife wild animal behavior wilderness outdoors nature kayak conservation lake
