muskrats or aliens? - Wildlife Gardeners

CitraBenzoet · 11-23-2010, 03:04 PM

I am not really sure where I could post this but since the most reasonable explanation i have come up with is Muskrats i thought itd be a good place to start.

I just took these pictures of the marsh "lake" behind my house.

The way that the surface snow on the ice has seemed to melt in straightish lines in a fanned pattern. This was not there yesterday. and the big hole was less frozen over yesterday. My parents have said that our marsh/lake is fed by springs which would explain why certain areas havent frozen over. Could the pattern by warmer water from the spring in the middle of the marsh (where the bigger area isnt frozen over) permeated into some muskrat tunnels causing the melt pattern?

Is there possibly a better explanation for what is actually going on? Or is it just aliens?

* not sure how to rotate the photos on here, sorry for poor quality of photos

benj1 · 11-25-2010, 04:53 PM

Pretty hard to make any reasonable speculation without closer inspection. Is it really just the snow that melted in lines on the ice, or did the ice not freeze where the lines are until after the snow stopped? Do muskrats remain active this late in the season? Where do the lines originate - is there any clue on the shore end?

The features do arouse one's curiosity.

Equilibrium · 11-26-2010, 01:41 PM

I think it's the spring. It's the same principle at work in that body of water as an air stone bubbling in a man made pond.

havalotta · 11-28-2010, 10:11 AM

Our muskrats were still out and about this weekend making a nest on a downed tree in the river.
Oh darn! I forgot to go out and take a photo of it before I returned home.. MAYBE next week?

biigblueyes · 11-28-2010, 10:53 AM

I vote for aliens

. Hey - you gave me the choice!

CitraBenzoet · 11-30-2010, 08:48 PM

thanx for the support for aliens bigblueyes.haha i have no idea what caused it. the weather has been up and down for the last week. i havent seen any signs of this pattern again.

philip · 11-30-2010, 10:00 PM

Ice can do some weird things.

YouTube - Mysterious Ice Circles, Stowe Vermont

YouTube - 'Crop' circles appearing on ice - Arna, Norway, the 6.th of March 2010

11-23-2010, 03:04 PM	#1
CitraBenzoet Grub Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Minnesota	muskrats or aliens? I am not really sure where I could post this but since the most reasonable explanation i have come up with is Muskrats i thought itd be a good place to start. I just took these pictures of the marsh "lake" behind my house. The way that the surface snow on the ice has seemed to melt in straightish lines in a fanned pattern. This was not there yesterday. and the big hole was less frozen over yesterday. My parents have said that our marsh/lake is fed by springs which would explain why certain areas havent frozen over. Could the pattern by warmer water from the spring in the middle of the marsh (where the bigger area isnt frozen over) permeated into some muskrat tunnels causing the melt pattern? Is there possibly a better explanation for what is actually going on? Or is it just aliens? * not sure how to rotate the photos on here, sorry for poor quality of photos Attached Thumbnails __________________ Wildlife of Suburbia Last edited by WG Admin; 11-23-2010 at 05:14 PM. Reason: rotated photos

11-26-2010, 01:41 PM	#3
Equilibrium Official Plant Nerd Join Date: Dec 2008	I think it's the spring. It's the same principle at work in that body of water as an air stone bubbling in a man made pond. __________________ "Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." - Dr. Seuss

11-28-2010, 10:11 AM	#4
havalotta WG Prize & Gift Coordinator Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Michigan	Our muskrats were still out and about this weekend making a nest on a downed tree in the river. Oh darn! I forgot to go out and take a photo of it before I returned home.. MAYBE next week? __________________ The successful woman is the woman that had the chance and took it! A walk among the elusive Whitetail Deer

11-28-2010, 10:53 AM	#5
biigblueyes WG Facilitator Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Cajun Country, Louisiana, USA	I vote for aliens. Hey - you gave me the choice! __________________ My yarden and I lean a little to the wild side.

11-30-2010, 08:48 PM	#6
CitraBenzoet Grub Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Minnesota	thanx for the support for aliens bigblueyes.haha i have no idea what caused it. the weather has been up and down for the last week. i havent seen any signs of this pattern again. __________________ Wildlife of Suburbia

11-25-2010, 04:53 PM	#2
benj1 Fox Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Chesterfield, Virginia	Pretty hard to make any reasonable speculation without closer inspection. Is it really just the snow that melted in lines on the ice, or did the ice not freeze where the lines are until after the snow stopped? Do muskrats remain active this late in the season? Where do the lines originate - is there any clue on the shore end? The features do arouse one's curiosity.

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