About Muskrats

The muskrat is a member of the rodent family with the scientific name Ondatra zibethica. Muskrats live near water and spend a great deal of time in it foraging for food. The name "muskrat" comes from the fact that these creatures are capable of producing a musky odor with the scent glands they possess and from the fact that they look like much larger versions of common rats at first glance. In many states across the U.S., the muskrat is trapped for its fur, which can be dyed so that it looks like that of the much more valuable mink.

Identification

The muskrat has a wide head with very short ears that can barely be seen. The coat of this semi-aquatic animal is waterproof for all practical purposes and is composed of thick, soft fur. The color of its coat ranges from almost black to much lighter shades but most are simply a darker brown. The muskrat has a tail that has almost no hair at all and is scaled and flattened. While the front feet are small, the back feet are a bit larger and partially webbed to help the muskrat swim.

Size

Muskrats, from the tips of their noses to the very ends of their long tails, can reach lengths of up to two feet. A large specimen may weigh four to five pounds, but most are considerably lighter. While this makes them about four times larger than the common Norway rat, it still leaves them much smaller than the largest rodent, which is the beaver. The nutria, which is a close cousin to the muskrat, is also larger.

Geography

The muskrat can be found anywhere throughout the United States and Canada where there are sufficient waterways and wetlands to support it. While the muskrat has been successfully introduced to parts of South America, Asia and Europe, it is native only to the U.S. and Canada. Muskrats inhabit rivers, meandering streams, swamps, lakes borders, ponds, marshes and canals; they can thrive wherever there is aquatic vegetation to consume.

Diet

Muskrats have a diet that consists for the most part of aquatic plants. They will gnaw on and eat arrowheads, cattails, duckweeds, bulrushes, sedges and water lilies. If crops such as alfalfa are available, they will eat them as well. Crayfish, snails, salamanders, insects, small fish and frogs are also on the menu but only when plant food becomes hard to find.

Expert Insight

The home of a muskrat will be an excavated den in a river bank or a lodge constructed from plants, mud and sticks. Muskrat lodges are somewhat like those of beavers but on a much smaller scale. Muskrats also build small lodges in which to feed safely throughout their territory. Nocturnal for the most part, the muskrat spends most of its time in its den when the winter months come on. Capable of swimming as fast as three miles an hour, the muskrat can make a wetland area more conducive to many bird species by clearing out much of the weeds in the water. However, too many muskrats in one area can wipe out much of the plant life, and they become quite a nuisance when they resort to eating crops.

References

• Washington dept of fish and wildlife website
• Connecticut dept of environmanetal protection website