Although classed as a nocturnal animal, the bushy-tailed woodrat is often active throughout the daylight hours. They are not gregarious creatures; yet, since suitable nesting sites may not be found in some areas, other more favored localities often will harbor considerable numbers of the animals. Overhanging ledges may shelter the piles of litter denoting a nest every few feet. In such cases, a well-worn trail will lead from one to the other. This is not an indication that a colony lives there in peace and harmony. These rats are truculent creatures among themselves, and if a stranger should venture into a nest mound, he is evicted with many indignant squeaks and a fearsome snapping of teeth. The interloper seems to know he is out of order and usually leaves the nest at once without more than a token show of resistance. In neutral territory such as a cabin, however, several woodrats may share the area quite peacefully, but to the great annoyance of the human occupant. The variety of sounds produced by such a group is quite amazing. Added to the usual high-pitched squeaks and patter of running feet are the mysterious rustlings of paper and other objects being dragged about. A peculiar thumping sound indicates a gait which I have never seen but often heard at night. It must be somewhat like the leaping flight of a kangaroo rat, at least it indicates a swift succession of leaps across a flat surface such as a floor or roof. Perhaps the broad surface presented by the flat of the bushy tail is of assistance in this maneuver. Then, like most rodents, the woodrat will thump with its hind legs as an alarm signal. This is perhaps the most noticeable sound of all, for it marks the instant cessation of all activity for every member of its kind within hearing distance. The “ear-splitting silence” that follows this signal literally presses in on one in the darkness. Muskrat _Ondatra zibethicus_ (French Canadian word from the Iroquois and Huron Indian word for muskrat. Latin: the odorous substance of the civet alluding to the musk secreted by the muskrat) Range: Virtually all of North America north of the Mexican border. Muskrats are found from near sea level to as high as 10,000 feet above it. [Illustration: Habitat map] Habitat: This large rodent can exist only near a permanent water supply which is deep enough to shelter it from its enemies. This may be a lake, a marsh, or a running stream.