Rodent.

It’s a word with negative undertones.

Rodents chew things, sometimes human possessions. Some rodents invade human homes. They are not wanted. Humans trap these rodents, in desperation, they use poison.

This rodent has few negative associations with humans. Yet, because humans like water as this rodent does, there are certainly human conflicts with this water dwelling rodent. You can guess, go ahead. Or read ahead, but come back and discover some things you didn’t know.

Why do rodents chew?

They have been given incisors which work like scissors. The front surface has a strong hard enamel. The back is softer and wears down more quickly, this makes the cutting edges of the incisors sharp. They need to be. Rodents diets consist largely of plants. This water dwelling creature with a vertically flat and furless tail consumes large quantities of cattails. Since it is cutting cattail every day, it needs a pair of teeth that are both durable and sharp. Since constantly cutting cattails wears down teeth, the incisors of this rodent, like all other rodents grow.

Cattails are its main source of food. It will eat crayfish, clams, frogs and even small fish. Other plants in its diet are bulrushes, water lilies, and other aquatic plants. With mud and cattails, our rodent in the spotlight builds huts sometimes three or more feet high. These huts have tunnels into the water. In winter the huts protect them from predators and give them a place to shelter out of the water.

Yes, it is a muskrat. (Ondatra zibethicus)

I like the Latin, scientific name because we learn more from the classification.

That flat tail is a very effective rudder. Muskrats can swim forward and back ward. No use challenging a muskrat to a hold your breath contest. They can remain under water for 15 minutes. It can chew under water with its mouth closed! This is due to a space between the incisors and the rest of the teeth. The muskrat sucks in its cheeks and they are able to close their mouths even underwater.

 About 40% of the world’s mammals are rodents. Why so many? Rodents are low on every food chain. They are food for many other animals. The muskrat is no exception. Mink, river otters, fox and coyotes on land and from the air eagles and even a hawk will eat a cattail fattened 2-5-pound muskrat. Because muskrats are prey to many, the female muskrat may have between 3 and five litters during the growing season. Young muskrats leave the nest within a month to find their own territory. During this time, they are especially vulnerable to predators.

Muskrats hide at least three ways. They are crepuscular, it means they are most active at dawn, dusk and night. Since so many other animals eat it, low light is a safer time. Muskrats can hide under water for 15 minutes, another life saving feature. The longest period during which muskrats “disappear” is during winter. In the north country when ice cover forms in early November, muskrats remain under ice up to 6 months!

Did you know you and I are like muskrats? This is not intended to be insulting. We hide too-From God. Think about it. It is an absolutely ridiculous human idea: we can hide ourselves from God. He knows all things. Including exactly where we are. He made the universe, He knows every part of it, no place is out of His sight. He even knows our illogical thoughts. He knows the reasons we swindle ourselves with and delude ourselves into believing we could possibly escape God’s notice.

The human idea that we the created could hide from God began with Adam in the Garden of Eden. Every human since has tried to hide from God. God called to Adam after he sinned with Eve over an apple. He said, “Where are you?” (Genesis 3:9) But God knew.

Stop hiding. God never calls us with the intend of “hammering” us for our sins. When He calls, “Where are you…” it is a call of mercy.

In 1963 Fredrick Wisloff, a Norwegian Pastor wrote a book entitled, “Rest a While.” Wisloff explains our hiding from God this way. “When God calls, His voice sounds like judgement, but it is mercy: Come out from your hiding place. Put away your excuses. Make a clean start before God. Realize your true state. Listen to His gracious call. (Human) where are you now, today?”

We were never made to hide like the muskrat. We were made for a relationship with God. Hiding can save a muskrat. Hiding for you and I keeps us from discovering the love of God.