Stats

Lifespan: 1-3 years
Size: Small
Diet: Omnivore
Activity: Crepuscular
Social: Solitary
Biome: Freshwater wetland
Range: North America
Movement: Swimming
Breeding: Live Birth
Defense: Burrowing
Status: Common

About

Muskrats are medium-sized semiaquatic rodents that live in ponds, marshes, and streams. They are excellent diggers, using their powerful hind legs to create burrows for shelter, and are known for their distinctive musk-like odor.

Life cycle

1.
newborn pup
A blind, hairless pup nurses in the nest and is unable to regulate its own warmth.
2.
juvenile
A weaned juvenile is fully furred, leaves the nest, and begins foraging on solid food.
3.
adult
Fully grown and self-sufficient.

Learn more

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Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Cricetidae
Genus: Ondatra
Species: Ondatra zibethicus