Meet the muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus), a semi-aquatic rodent native to North America. Muskrats have tiny front feet used for digging and holding food items, and semi-webbed hind feet for swimming.  Dense, waterproof fur provides insulation and buoyancy in the water, while a long, scaly tail acts as a rudder.

Muskrats have large front teeth that protrude past their lips. Its lips can then close around these teeth, allowing them to gnaw underwater vegetation without getting water in its mouth. They feed mostly on aquatic plants, like cattails and bulrush.

The muskrat is named for its “musky” scent, which comes from two scent glands located at the base of its tail. It leaves their scent around their dens and trails during breeding season. Muskrats are mostly nocturnal with some activity around dawn and dusk.

Muskrats build burrows in stream banks and construct lodges (domed structures of vegetation and mud) with underwater entrances, providing shelter and protection for their litter of 4-8 kits. Muskrats can give birth to multiple litters per year from late spring to early fall.

A muskrat’s den can be extensive with tunnels and multiple entrances. These burrowing habits can cause significant damage to levees, leading to erosion, cave-ins, and potential breaches.