Rodents of Iowa



From:
EXCHANGE 
IOWA 
Geological Survey 
Bulletin No. 5 

THE RODENTS OF IOWA 
BY DAYTON STONER 

GEORGE F. KAY, PH. D., STATE GEOLOGIST 
JAMES H. LEES, PH. D^ ASSISTANT STATE GEOLOGIST 
DES MOJNES: 
PUBLISHED FOR IOWA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 
1918 
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102 RODENTS OF IOWA 

near that place. Muskrat houses are also much in evidence in the 
vicinity of Spirit Lake and Estherville. Numerous other ponds 
and marshes over the state furnish their quota, but trappers and 
collectors everywhere state that the number of these animals has 
decreased markedly in the past four or five years. 

Economic Importance. In an economic way the use of musk- 
rat fur is of greatest importance. As compared with other furs of 
small size muskrats furs are dense, soft, and at the same time possess 
excellent wear-resisting qualities. The furriers have worked out 
methods of imitating many of the more costly furs with that of the 
muskrat, and thus a constant demand for the latter is created. C. 
Freedman, furrier at the Edes Robe Tanning Company of Dubuque, 
informs the writer that of the smaller mammal skins that come to the 
tannery muskrat skins head the list so far as numbers are concerned. 
J. A. Spurrell of Wall Lake writes that, ' ' Muskrats were the most 
important, [fur-bearing 'animals] because the most abundant. The 
skins were worth from eight to ten cents each in 1857 and from 12 
to 15 cents each in 1870, when Shelt Tiberghien and two partners 
trapped 6250 muskrats from October, 1870, to May, 1871. The 
muskrats were called the 'savior of the people', and taxes were paid 
from the proceeds of trapping . . . ." 

Muskrat fur first came into demand through its use in the mak- 
ing of imitation beaver hats. Later, silk and wool having replaced 
the beaver, muskrat skins came to be used as an imitation of seal- 
skin; and if properly made up they are, indeed, difficult to tell 
from the real article, although the wearing qualities are much in- 
ferior. 

In regard to the trade in muskrat furs Lantz says : ' ' The growth 
of the demand for muskrat furs is shown by the records of London 
importations and sales. From 1763 to 1800 (thirty-eight years) 
the total number of skins imported and sold in that market was 
2,831,453, an average of less than 75,000 yearly. During the fifty 
years from 1801 to 1850 the total was 20,571,428, or an average of 
411,000 yearly. From 1851 to 1890, inclusive, the importations 
were 99 ; 893,591, a yearly average of 2,500,000. The average Lon- 
don sales in recent years have been ever 4,000,000 per annum, and 
the entire output of skins for 1900 was 5,285,000. A large part of 
the total collection is sold through London, but in the last few years 
an increasing number are dressed and manufactured in America.