An Introduction to the Muskrat

Closely related to the beaver is the slightly smaller rodent species, the muskrat. The muskrat gets its name from the two musk glands under the tail. And this rodent is found throughout North America and has been introduced to northern parts of Eurasia. You’ll find them swimming along in marshes, ponds, lakes, and swamps in 4-6 feet of water.

Contact Covenant Wildlife Removal if you have a Muskrat problem in or near your home or business. 

Learning More About the Muskrat

That said, you will need to call a wildlife removal expert as soon as possible.

Muskrat Appearance

The muskrat has a stocky body with a round head and a long scaly black tail. The tail is flat and works like a rudder in the water. Interestingly, the tail is vertically flat! The muskrat does look, at first glance, like a beaver. They have glossy, reddish-brown to dark or silvery brown fur with a lighter color on the underbelly. Additionally, they have small eyes and ears, with short legs, small front feet, and larger webbed hind feet. 

Weight: two to 4 pounds

Length: 1 – 2 feet long

Tail: 7 – 12 inches long

Lifespan: 3 years

Diet

Muskrats are mainly herbivores that prefer to eat cattails, rushes, water lilies, sedges, pondweed, and various other aquatic vegetation. They may also dine on the occasional clam, snail, mussel, fish, frog, or crayfish.

When they find something to eat, the muskrat will drag the food to a feeding platform along the path, in a burrow, or in a dome. There they can eat without predators peering in.

Muskrat Habitats

Most active at dawn and dusk, the muskrat builds large domes of plant material that can be five feet across and four feet high. This dome will have an empty interior chamber with several holes underwater for entry. Sometimes, the muskrat will build two domes, one for nesting and the other for feeding.

Additionally, the muskrat may have a burrow along the shore with two chambers for eating and nesting and several underwater entry points. 

Reproduction and Families

Unlike the beaver, the muskrat is a promiscuous rodent, having several mating partners. The mating season is between March and August, and it is a natural hierarchy struggle. You see, these rodents will fight for their right to mate with a female of their choosing. 

Female muskrats’ gestation is less than a month, and they will have 5-10 young per litter, with three litters per season. And the age of sexual maturity is only one year old.

Fun Facts About the Muskrat

Want to know some of the fun facts about these funny rodents? We thought so.

• They can hold their breath underwater for up to an incredible 15 minutes.
• Muskrats can swim both forwards and backward.
• They can close their mouths over their incisor teeth and chew underwater.

Covenant Removes Nuisance Pests from Your Home and Property

What sets us apart from animal control is that we can manage the elimination of nearly any type of wildlife, including muskrats, squirrels, bats, mice/rats, snakes, chipmunks, raccoons, birds, alligators, and more. 

Covenant Wildlife Removal is a top-rated local family-owned, full-service wildlife trapping, removal, and repair service. We can remove a nuisance pest or rodent infestation before it becomes an extensive problem for you and your family.

Do not wait; call us today for a free examination of the issue to offer you an immediate solution and quote.