Safety note: Bites when cornered — do not handle.
The Common Muskrat is a widespread semi-aquatic rodent found in wetlands across North America, recognized by its laterally compressed tail and partially webbed feet. It builds dome-shaped lodges or bank burrows that provide winter refugia for other wildlife. Historically, the muskrat fur trade played an important economic role in many Indigenous and settler communities.
Habitat
Marshes, ponds, slow rivers, and wetland margins
Diet
Cattails, aquatic plants, crayfish, and small fish
How common
Common
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