Muskrat

Ondatra zibethicus

Cool fact: Muskrats often build feeding platforms next to their lodges where they eat their meals.

Muskrats are medium-sized semi-aquatic rodents that are native to North America, with a range throughout the United States, Canada, and a small part of northern Mexico. They primarily inhabit wetland areas with dense vegetation — including coastlines, rivers, lakes, or ponds — and prefer slow or still water. (I found it interesting that the absence of muskrats in Florida may, in part, be the result of alligator predation.)

Zibethicus means “musky,” but the muskrat’s common name probably comes from the Algonquian word muscascus (referencing its red coloring) or from the Abenaki word mòskwas because of its “musky” odor. Although later named “muskrat” because its flattened tail resembles that of a rat, it is not a rat and is actually related to voles and lemmings.

Revered for its longstanding value in the fur trade, several Native American tribes still predict winter snowfall levels by observing the size and timing of muskrat lodge construction (anyone else thinking about Punxsutawney Phil predicting the arrival of spring?). There are native cultural myths, one of which tells of a muskrat diving to the bottom of a sea to pull up mud and help create the land.

An adult muskrat is about 16–28” long (half of which is the tail) and weighs 1¼ – 4½ lbs., much smaller than the beaver, which is often found in the same habitat. Muskrats have two layers of short, thick fur, medium to dark brown or black, with the belly a bit lighter; their coats are essentially waterproof. Webbed hind feet help them navigate swimming, while the long, hairless tail functions like a rudder to help propel their bodies through water (they can even swim backwards!). Musk glands located in the tail are used for marking territory.

Muskrats build nests to protect themselves and their young from cold and predators. Similar to beaver lodges, they have dry chambers, underwater tunnels, and ventilation holes which are hidden at the surface by branches and thick vegetation. Once the water freezes, they continue to follow their trails under the ice. About 95% of their diet consists of plants, e.g., cattails, water lilies, and other aquatic vegetation, but they also eat mussels, frogs, small turtles, insects, and crayfish. They do not store food for the winter.

They are monogamous, usually living in a family unit of a male, female, and their young. Mating season is late March through July and typically takes place underwater. Females produce two to three litters a year, between March and October. During colder months, they give birth to four to eight pups; however, in warm months, up to 15 pups is not unusual. After a gestation period of about a month, the young are born blind, hairless, and helpless. Their eyes open after a couple of weeks, and they are weaned after about eight weeks. Young muskrats mature in 6mos in southern environments, but in about a year in colder areas.

Muskrats provide valuable contributions to aquatic communities and their ecosystems. Their grazing on plants keeps the pond balanced and increases its biodiversity. Using vegetation for dens helps move nutrients around and into the pond. Den surfaces provide shelter and resting areas for fish, frogs, insects, turtles, snakes, ducks, and geese. The open water they create is utilized by waterfowl, shore-birds, and other wildlife.

They provide an important food source for many animals, including raccoons, mink, foxes, coyotes, wolves, lynx and bobcats, bears, raptors, and other predators. Otters, snapping turtles, herons, and even large fish will prey on baby muskrats.

Steady declines in populations across the country began in the 1990s and early 2000s. There isn’t much data on population trends in Maine, but they are far from endangered, with an apparently healthy population here. Sadly, wetland habitat continues to be impacted by human activity. We should help preserve Nature’s amazing “aquatic engineers” and the habitats that need them.

“Cool Facts”

• Muskrat fossils date back at least 4 -5 million years.
• Muskrats were introduced to Europe in the early 20th century for fur farming, but since August 2017, they have been added to the “list of invasive alien species of Union concern.” Meaning they can’t be imported, transported, commercialized, bred, or intentionally released anywhere in the EU due to damage to dikes, levees, crops, and river banks from their burrowing, as well as the displacement of native species.
• Muskrats often build feeding platforms next to their lodges where they eat their meals.
• Muskrats can remain underwater 12 – 17 minutes at a time. Like seals and whales, their bodies limit the buildup of carbon dioxide; they can also close their ears to keep water out.
• Muskrats have two pairs of sharp, flat front teeth (incisors) used for gnawing and even chew underwater!
• In Michigan, a historical dispensation allows Catholics to eat muskrat on Ash Wednesday and Lenten Fridays, when the eating of meat is typically prohibited. In 2019, up to 900 muskrats were consumed at a single dinner!

—by Jayne Winters – July 16, 2026

Resources:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muskrat
• https://www.maine.gov/ifw/fish-wildlife/wildlife/species-information/mammals/muskrat.html
• https://a-z-animals.com/blog/10-incredible-muskrat-facts/
• https://thinkport.org/bayville/printables/muskrats.pdf
• https://mainerivers.org/river-life/muskrats/
• https://www.pressherald.com/2024/08/18/ask-maine-audubon-muskrats-in-the-pond-are-not-a-nuisance/