Evaluation of Body Size and Body Condition Indices in Muskrats

Estimating nutritional condition of animals in the field is important for determining factors that may affect animal-habitat interactions and population dynamics. Due to the dynamics of body tissues, many of the traditional morphometric body condition indices (i.e., body mass or a ratio of body mass to body size) may generate incorrect conclusions with respect to nutritional condition. Thus, we evaluated several condition indices specific to protein and fat reserves in muskrats (Ondatra zibethicus) based on morphometric and body composition variables. We collected 245 muskrats from April 1988 through April 1990 in southcentral Saskatchewan. Total body length provided as precise a measure of body size as the first principal component (PCI) score