Social media sites are a hotbed of information. Often you need to check the facts to find out if the information out there is fact, fiction, or somewhere in between. One of the posts I read was the sightings of brown rats outdoors along the road in January.

This intrigued me. Could there be rats outdoors in January? The brown rat (Rattus norvegicus) is also known as the common rat, street rat, and sewer rat. It is a brown or grey rodent and from nose to tail is approximately eighteen inches. The average weight is around 24 ounces. Thought to have originated from China and Mongolia it is now found wherever humans live except Antarctica.

Brown rats are defined as “commensal” because they live in close association with people. Like humans, brown rats need food, water, and shelter. If we create environments that supply these essentials brown rats, and other unwanted wildlife move in among us.

In the case of the brown rat, they feed on fresh produce to garbage having food and pet waste. They also need to drink standing water every day. Water can be found in puddles or condensation on pipes. Brown rats prefer to burrow in soil but will take advantage of any voids near a food source.

Did you know brown rats have acute hearing and have a very advanced olfactory sense? Did you also know they are excellent swimmers both on the surface and underwater? Brown rats are nocturnal, and often excavate extensive underground burrow systems.

Everything points to the fact that the social media poster saw brown rats. However, brown rats need to seek warm cover when temperatures drop below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. At 40 degrees they start to die. Though we had a mild January, temperatures were too cold. for the brown rats to be outdoors along the roadway.

During the cold months of fall, winter, and spring brown rats seek out houses and outbuildings and the areas underneath to supply protection during cold weather. It had to be something else!

Another nocturnal animal that is closely related to the brown rat is the Muskrat. Muskrats (Ondatra zibethicus) are large freshwater rodents. The first part of their name comes from the strong-smelling odor, or musk, that the muskrat produces during mating season and to mark its territory. The second part of their name comes from the tail that looks like that of a rat. Muskrats have had many names given to them over the years: marsh rabbit, mud cat, mud beaver, and the Algonquin Indian tribe called it musquash.

The biggest differences between a muskrat vs brown rat are their size, habitat, and tails. Muskrats are larger than most common rats, both in terms of their bodies and tails. Although brown rats prefer to live in burrows underground near human settlements, muskrats are semiaquatic rodents that prefer to live in burrows near lakes, ponds, ditches, and wetlands.

Muskrats will build houses from vegetation including cattails and small branches. The houses will look like a dome in the water. Considered an Omnivore they mainly consume a plant-based diet. They eat roots, stems, leaves, and fruits of aquatic vegetation. Once their plant food source is depleted, they will eat insects, fish, amphibians, and in the winter: freshwater mussels.

They have two coats of hair. The thick fur undercoat keeps the muskrats warm in winter, and the outer coat is made up of long, shiny waterproof hairs. Staying active through winter they are often foraging for food. During the night they are sometimes seen crossing properties in search of food. Their movements are often mistaken for brown rats.

Though muskrats and brown rats have different lifestyles there is one thing that is common between the two. Did you know they are edible and in some cultures considered a delicacy? Brown rats are typically prepared by boiling or stir-frying and are said to have a taste like chicken. Muskrats can be eaten many ways but is usually boiled to remove some of the fat. The tail is considered a treat and can be eaten as a snack. Muskrat is made into stews and in ground meat dishes. As a meal, have with potatoes, corn, and fruit.

So, what did the writer of the social media post see? A brown rat, or a muskrat? You be the cook or the judge. Bon-Appetite!