{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Taxon",
  "slug": "muskrat",
  "name": "Muskrat",
  "scientificName": "Ondatra zibethicus",
  "category": "Mammal",
  "summary": "The muskrat is a semi-aquatic rodent weighing 0.6–2 kg (1.3–4.4 lb) with a scaly tail and webbed hind feet, found in wetlands across North America and introduced to Europe and Asia. It builds dome lodges from cattails, feeds on aquatic plants, and is trapped for fur while listed Least Concern globally.",
  "conservationStatus": "Least Concern",
  "taxonomy": {
    "kingdom": "Animalia",
    "phylum": "Chordata",
    "class": "Mammalia",
    "order": "Rodentia",
    "family": "Cricetidae",
    "genus": "Ondatra"
  },
  "stats": {
    "weightKg": 1.2,
    "lengthM": 0.35,
    "topSpeedKmh": 5,
    "lifespanYears": 4
  },
  "facts": [
    {
      "label": "Scientific name",
      "value": "Ondatra zibethicus"
    },
    {
      "label": "Diet",
      "value": "Herbivore — cattails, pondweed, roots, and occasional mussels"
    },
    {
      "label": "Habitat",
      "value": "Marshes, ponds, slow rivers, and wetlands across temperate North America"
    },
    {
      "label": "Lifespan",
      "value": "3–5 years in the wild (longer in captivity)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Weight",
      "value": "0.6–2 kg (1.3–4.4 lb); compact and dense-furred"
    },
    {
      "label": "Top speed",
      "value": "Strong swimmer; moderate on land"
    },
    {
      "label": "Conservation status",
      "value": "Least Concern (IUCN)"
    }
  ],
  "range": {
    "nativeRange": "Native to wetlands across Canada, the United States, and northern Mexico; introduced to Europe and parts of Asia for fur farming and now established in marshes from France to Siberia.",
    "continents": [
      "Asia",
      "Europe",
      "North America"
    ]
  },
  "sources": [
    {
      "citation": "IUCN Red List — Ondatra zibethicus.",
      "url": "https://www.iucnredlist.org/search?query=Ondatra%20zibethicus&searchType=species"
    },
    {
      "citation": "Animal Diversity Web — Ondatra zibethicus. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.",
      "url": "https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Ondatra_zibethicus/"
    }
  ],
  "lastReviewed": "2026-07-16",
  "canonicalUrl": "https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/muskrat/",
  "license": {
    "name": "CC BY-NC 4.0",
    "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/",
    "attribution": "Global Animal Guide — https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/muskrat/",
    "note": "Free to reuse for non-commercial purposes with attribution and a link back to the canonical page."
  }
}