Quick answer
Key facts about muskrat — size, diet, habitat, and conservation in one place.
Wetland engineer
Muskrats excavate burrows into pond banks and build conical lodges from cattails and mud — structures that create habitat for ducks, turtles, and fish. Their feeding opens channels through dense vegetation, maintaining open water in marshes that might otherwise silt over.
Semi-aquatic adaptations
Partially webbed hind feet, a laterally flattened tail used as a rudder, and dense waterproof underfur let muskrats swim efficiently and stay warm in icy water. They can remain submerged for 15 minutes, closing ear flaps and using stored oxygen.
Fur trade and introductions
Muskrat fur ('musquash') supported a major trapping industry across North America for centuries. Deliberate and accidental introductions established populations in Europe and Asia, where they sometimes damage dikes and compete with native water voles.
Ecology and management
Listed Least Concern, muskrats remain abundant in suitable wetlands but face habitat loss from drainage and pollution. In some areas they are managed as pests when burrowing undermines levees; elsewhere they are valued as wetland indicators and fur-bearer resources.