muskrat

(Ondatra zibethicus)

Conservation Status
muskrat
Photo by Christa Rittberg
  IUCN Red List

LC - Least Concern

     
  NatureServe

N5 - Secure

SNR - Unranked

     
  Minnesota

not listed

     
           
           
           
 
Description
 
 

 

 
     
 

Size

 
 

Total length: 18 to 25

Head and body: 10 to 14

Tail: 8 to 11

 
     
 

Sign

 
 

 

 
     
 

Similar Species

 
     
     
 
Habitat
 
 

Edges of ponds and lakes, marshes, and slow-moving streams with edible vegetation

 
     
 
Biology
 
 

Behavior

 
 

 

 
     
 

Lifespan

 
 

3 years

 
     
 

Life Cycle

 
 

 

 
     
 

Food

 
 

 

 
     
 
Distribution
 
 

Distribution Map

 

Sources

7, 15, 24, 29, 76.

 
  8/17/2019      
         
 

Occurrence

 
 

Common

 
         
 
Taxonomy
 
  Class Mammalia (mammals)  
  Subclass Theria  
  Infraclass Eutheria (placental mammals)  
  Magnorder Boreoeutheria  
  Superorder Euarchontoglires (primates, rodents, and allies)  
  Clade Glires (rodents and rabbits)  
  Order Rodentiia (rodents)  
  Suborder Myomorpha (mice, rats, and hamsters)  
  Superfamily Muroidea (muroids)  
 

Family

Cricetidae (hamsters, voles, lemmings, and allies)  
 

Subfamily

Arvicolinae (voles, lemmings, and muskrats)  
  Tribe Arvicolini (water voles and muskrats)  
 

Genus

Ondatra (muskrats)  
       
 

Subordinate Taxa

 
 

Alaska muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus zalophus)

Arizona muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus pallidus)

Colorado River muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus bernardi)

common muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus zibethicus)

dusky muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus obscurus)

Goldman muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus goldmani)

Great Plains muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus cinnamominus)

Hudson muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus albus)

Labrador muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus aquilonius)

large-toothed muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus macrodon)

Louisiana muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus rivalicius)

Nevada muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus mergens)

Northwest muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus spatulatus)

Oregon muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus occipitalis)

Osoyoos muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus osoyoosensis)

Pecos River muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus ripensis)

 
       
 

Synonyms

 
 

Castor zibethicus

Fiber macrodon

Fiber obscurus

Fiber occipitalis

Fiber osoyoosensis

Fiber spatulatus

Fiber zibethicus albus

Fiber zibethicus aquilonius

Fiber zibethicus cinnamominus

Fiber zibethicus hudsonius

Fiber zibethicus maculosa

Fiber zibethicus mergens

Fiber zibethicus nigra

Fiber zibethicus niger

Fiber zibethicus pallidus

Fiber zibethicus ripensis

Fiber zibethicus rivalicius

Fiber zibethicus varius

Fiber zibethicus zalophus

Ondatra americana

Ondatra zibethica bernardi

Ondatra zibethica goldmani

Ondatra zibethicus ripensis

Ondatra zibethicus zibethicus

 
       
 

Common Names

 
 

common muskrat

muskbeaver

muskrat

 
       

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
Visitor Photos
 
           
 

Share your photo of this mammal.

 
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Attach one or more photos and, if you like, a caption.
 
 

Molly and Robert Power

 
 

Our dog spotted this guy in our brush pile

 
    muskrat      
 

Lynn Rubey

 
  A Muskrat in The Big Stone National Wildlife refuge in shallow waters as it foraged for food and bringing up this tasty treat to enjoy. Munching on the goodness of nature as it turned and looked at me.   muskrat  
 

Christa Rittberg

 
    muskrat   muskrat  
           
    muskrat      
 

Wayne Rasmussen

 
 

Muskrat taking home a turtle at Maplewood Nature Center

 
    muskrat      
           
 
MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos
 
 

Lodge

 
    muskrat      
           

 

Camera

     
 
Slideshows
 
Ondatra zibethicus (Common Muskrat)
Allen Chartier
  Ondatra zibethicus (Common Muskrat)  
Muskrat
DianesDigitals
  Muskrat  
Muskrats
Craig A. Mullenbach
  Muskrats  
     

 

slideshow

       
 
Visitor Videos
 
       
 

Share your video of this mammal.

 
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Attach a video, a YouTube link, or a cloud storage link.
 
 

 

 
     
     
       
       
 
Other Videos
 
  Muskrat (Cricetidae: Ondatra zibethicus) Swimming, Oblique View
Carl Barrentine
 
   
 
About

Uploaded on Jul 29, 2009

Photographed at Grand Forks, North Dakota (28 July 2009). "Animals have these advantages over man: they never hear the clock strike, they die without any idea of death, they have no theologians to instruct them, their last moments are not disturbed by unwelcome and unpleasant ceremonies, their funerals cost them nothing, and no one starts lawsuits over their wills." --Voltaire

 
  Muskrat - Ondatra zibethicus
ookkonaaoulusta
 
   
 
About

Published on Sep 18, 2015

Muskrat having its meal.

Camera: Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2 (EXT. TELE CONV. on)
Lens: Canon Zoom Lens FD 100-300mm 1:5.6

 
  Muskrat (Cricetidae: Ondatra zibethicus) Watercolor Artist
Carl Barrentine
 
   
 
About

Uploaded on May 17, 2010

Photographed at Grand Forks, North Dakota (17 May 2010).

 
  Muskrat Behavior
Phil Baumhardt
 
   
 
About

Uploaded on Mar 2, 2011

I spent several weekends in November video taping the muskrats which live in the pond next the library. I edited the footage together into a sort of observational documentary.

 
       

 

Camcorder

 
 
Visitor Sightings
 
           
 

Report a sighting of this mammal.

 
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Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com.
Be sure to include a location.
 
  Molly and Robert Power
9/28/2020

Location: Albany MN

muskrat

 
  Lynn Rubey
8/13/2019

Location: Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge

A Muskrat in The Big Stone National Wildlife refuge in shallow waters as it foraged for food and bringing up this tasty treat to enjoy. Munching on the goodness of nature as it turned and looked at me.

muskrat

 
  Wayne Rasmussen
4/22/2014

Location: Maplewood Nature Center

Muskrat taking home a turtle at Maplewood Nature Center

muskrat

 
           
 
MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings
 
   

 

 

Binoculars


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