Muskrats are small rodents with dense glossy brown fur and a hairless tail, weighing 1 to 2 pounds in the south and 3 to 4 pounds in the north. Total length varies from 19 to 25 inches. Muskrats are nocturnal and can swim forwards and backwards with the aid of partially-webbed hind feet. Males have prominent musk glands beneath the skin on their lower abdomen that swell in the spring and produce a yellowish musky-smelling fluid.
Muskrats are found throughout most of North America except for the arctic, most of California, Texas, Florida, and the southwest. Habitats include marshes, lakes, ponds, streams, and ditches where they feed on aquatic plants such as cattails, rushes, and water lilies. Mink, fox, coyotes, hawks, and owls eat muskrats. Muskrats burrow into banks of streams and ponds, and they build prominent lodges out of cattails or other vegetation in marshes and lakes. They have a small home range, seldom traveling more than 200 feet from their den. Breeding occurs from late winter to September in the north, and year-round in the south, producing 1 to 5 litters a year and 1 to 11 young per litter. Muskrats are sexually mature at six months of age.
