Muskrats are usually found in marshy areas like beavers. They have a variety of foods to eat. They have a big population. They do have some predators as do all animals. They have many interesting facts as you will soon find out.

Muskrats are one to two feet long and have tails up to a foot long. They weigh two to four pounds and can rarely reach 4 years of age. “There colors consist of shades of brown and lighter shades of gray or blonde around the chest and stomach.” They have four incisor teeth that get sharper as they get used. A baby muskrat is called a kit. A muskrat can give birth to five kits a litter and up to five litters per year. How much food is around can also affect how many kits per litter and how many litters per year.

They have an easy going habitat requirement and they often live among beavers in their homes. Their typical habitats consist of marshes, edges of ponds, lakes, streams, cattails, and rushes. They are in the least concerned category and their population is still growing. They eat foliage, roots, aquatic plants (such as cattails), pondweeds, sedges, and brushes. They also eat corn when available and occasionally frogs, snails, and clams. When underwater a muskrat can cut plants and other vegetation without getting water in their mouths due to folds of skin behind their incensory teeth.

Some interesting facts about muskrats are that it gets its name from a strong musky odor they give off from two sweat glands near its tail to mark its territory. Muskrats can hold their breath underwater for up to 12 minutes. They are sometimes just called rats because they are medium sized rodents with adaptable lifestyles and an omnivorous diet. However they are not part of the genus rattus witch contains the “True rats”. It is the only species in the genus Ondatra and is the largest species in the subfamily arvicoline. They do have predators; some of them are raccoons, red foxes, owls, hawks, bald eagles, common snapping turtle, bullfrogs, snakes, largemouth bass, dogs, cats, and even humans.

Muskrats have adaptable homes, a big and getting bigger population, lots of interesting facts and an abundance of variety for food sources. Muskrats are interesting animals with lots of information for scientists to still find out.

 

Author: Alexie G.
Published:10/2012

Sources:

Montana Trappers Association. Web. 14 Feb. 2011. http://www.montanatrappers.org.

"Muskrat." North Dakota Fur Takers. North Dakota Fur takers. Web. 14 Feb. 2011. http://www.northdakotafurtakers.com/EdManual/muskrat.htm.
"Muskrats - EHow.com." EHow | How To Do Just About Everything! | How To Videos & Articles. Web. 15 Feb. 2011. <http://www.ehow.com/muskrat

 "Muskrat." FCPS Home Page Redirect Page. Web. 15 Feb. 2011. http://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/muskrat.htm.

 Photo credit:

 "Muskrat." FCPS Home Page Redirect Page. Web. 15 Feb. 2011. http://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/muskrat.htm.