View source for Muskrat

{{short description|Species of rodent}}
{{other uses}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2024}}
{{Good article}}
{{speciesbox
| name = Muskrat
| image = Muskrat swimming Ottawa.jpg
| image_caption = Muskrat swimming in [[Ottawa]], Canada
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=Cassola, F. |date=2016 |title=''Ondatra zibethicus'' |volume=2016 |page=e.T15324A22344525 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T15324A22344525.en |access-date=19 November 2021}}</ref>
| display_parents = 3
| genus = Ondatra
| parent_authority = [[Johann Heinrich Friedrich Link|Link]], 1795
| species = zibethicus
| authority = ([[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], 1766)
| range_map = Muskrat Range.svg
| range_map_caption = Range of the Muskrat {{Legend|#629F9A|Native}}{{Legend|#B69268|Introduced}}
| synonyms = ''Castor zibethicus'' <small>Linnaeus,&nbsp;1766</small>
}}

The '''muskrat''' or '''common muskrat'''<ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021" /> ('''''Ondatra zibethicus''''') is a medium-sized [[semiaquatic]] [[rodent]] native to North America and an [[introduced species]] in parts of Europe, Asia, and South America. 

The muskrat is found in [[wetland]]s over various climates and habitats. It has crucial effects on the ecology of wetlands,<ref name="Keddy">{{cite book |last=Keddy |first=Paul A. |author-link=Paul Keddy |year=2010 |title=Wetland Ecology: Principles and conservation |edition=2nd |place=New York, NY |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-73967-2 |lccn=2010009142 |page=162 }}</ref> and is a resource of food and fur for humans.

Adult muskrats weigh {{cvt|0.6|-|2|kg|frac=4}}, with a body length (excluding the tail) of {{cvt|20|-|35|cm|frac=2}}. They are covered with short, thick fur of medium to dark brown color. Their long tails, covered with scales rather than hair, are laterally compressed and generate a small amount of thrust, with their webbed hind feet being the main means of [[Aquatic locomotion|propulsion]],<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Fish |first=F.E. |date=1982 |title=Function of the Compressed Tail of Surface Swimming Muskrats (Ondatra zibethicus) |url=https://academic.oup.com/jmammal/article-abstract/63/4/591/928357 |journal=American Journal of Mammalogy |volume=63 |issue=4 |pages=591–597|doi=10.2307/1380263 |jstor=1380263 |url-access=subscription }}</ref> and the unique tail mainly important in directional stability. Muskrats spend most of their time in the water and can swim underwater for 12 to 17 minutes. They live in families of a male and female pair and their young. They build nests to protect themselves from the cold and predators, often burrowed into the bank with an underwater entrance. Muskrats feed mostly on [[cattail]] and other aquatic vegetation but also eat small animals.

''Ondatra zibethicus'' is the only [[extant taxon|extant]] species in the [[genus]] '''''Ondatra'''''; its closest relative is the [[round-tailed muskrat]] (''Neofiber alleni''). It is the largest species in the subfamily [[Arvicolinae]], which includes 142 other species of rodents, mostly [[vole]]s and [[lemming]]s. Muskrats are referred to as "[[rat]]s" in a general sense because they are medium-sized rodents with an [[Adaptation|adaptable]] lifestyle and an [[Omnivore|omnivorous]] diet. They are not members of the genus ''[[Rattus]]''. They are not closely related to [[beaver]]s, with which they share habitat and general appearance.

== Etymology ==
The muskrat's name probably comes from a word of [[Algonquian languages|Algonquian]] (possibly [[Powhatan]]<ref>{{cite web|work=[[Online Etymology Dictionary]]|title=muskrat |url=http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=muskrat|access-date=25 September 2021}}</ref>) origin, ''muscascus'' (literally "it is red", so called for its colorings), or from the [[Abenaki]] native word ''mòskwas'', as seen in the archaic English name for the animal, ''musquash''. Because of the association with the "[[musk]]y" odor, which the muskrat uses to mark its territory, and its flattened tail, the name became altered to musk-beaver;<ref>{{cite book|last=Hearne |first=Samuel |author-link=Samuel Hearne|year=2007|title=A Journey to the Northern Ocean: The Adventures of Samuel Hearne |series=Classics West|place=Victoria, British Columbia|publisher=TouchWood Editions |isbn=978-1-894898-60-7|lccn=2007931913}}{{page needed|date=September 2021}}</ref> later it became "muskrat" due to its resemblance to rats.<ref name="caras">{{cite book|last=Caras |first=Roger A.|author-link=Roger A. Caras|year=1967 |title=North American Mammals: Fur-bearing Animals of the United States and Canada |place=New York |publisher=Galahad Books |isbn=0-88365-072-X}}{{page needed|date=September 2021}}</ref><ref name="nowak">{{cite book|last1=Nowak|first1=Ronald M.|last2=Paradiso|first2=John L.|year=1983 |title=Walker's Mammals of the World |place=Baltimore, Maryland |publisher=Johns Hopkins University Press |isbn=0-8018-2525-3|lccn=82049056}}{{page needed|date=September 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|work=Merriam-Webster Dictionary|access-date=October 2, 2011|title=Muskrat|url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/muskrat}}</ref>

Similarly, its [[specific name (zoology)|specific name]] ''zibethicus'' means "musky", being the adjective of ''zibethus'' "[[civet (perfumery)|civet musk]]; [[civet]]".<ref>{{Cite OED|zivet}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Lemery|first=Nicolas|author-link=Nicolas Lemery|title=Dictionnaire universel des drogues simples|url=https://archive.org/details/b30411026|year=1759|place=Paris|publisher=L.-Ch. d'Houry|language=fr|page=[https://archive.org/details/b30411026/page/942 942]|quote=Zibethum [...], en français, ''civette'', est une matière liquid [...] d'une odeur forte & désagréable. [Zibethum, in French, ''civette'', is a liquid [...] with a strong and unpleasant odour.]}}</ref> The genus name comes from the [[Wyandot language|Huron]] word for the animal, ''ondathra'',<ref>{{cite book|last=Valmont de Bomare|first=Jacques-Christophe |author-link=Jacques-Christophe Valmont de Bomare|title=Dictionnaire raisonné universel de l'histoire naturelle|url=https://archive.org/details/dictionnairerai20bomagoog|year=1791|language=fr|place=Lyon |publisher=Bruyset Frères|page=[https://archive.org/details/dictionnairerai20bomagoog/page/n213 205]}}</ref> and entered [[Neo-Latin]] as ''Ondatra'' via French.<ref>{{Merriam-Webster|Ondatra}} Unabridged {{Subscription required}}</ref>

== Description ==
[[File:Ondatra zibethica skeleton.png|thumb|left|Muskrat skeleton]]
[[File:Ondatra zibethica 02 MWNH 873.jpg|thumb|left|Muskrat skull]]
An adult muskrat is about {{convert|40|-|70|cm|in|0|abbr=on}} long, half of that length being the tail, and weighs {{convert|0.6|-|2|kg|lb|frac=4|abbr=on}}.<ref name="Burnie">{{cite book|editor-last1=Burnie |editor-first1=David |editor-last2=Wilson|editor-first2=Don E.|editor-link2=Don E. Wilson|year=2005 |title=Animal: The Definitive Visual Guide to the World's Wildlife |place=New York|publisher=DK Adult |isbn=0-7894-7764-5|lccn=2006272650}}{{page needed|date=September 2021}}</ref> That is about four times the weight of the [[brown rat]] (''Rattus norvegicus''), though an adult muskrat is only slightly longer. It is almost certainly{{clarify|date=November 2020}} the most prominent and heaviest member of the diverse family [[Cricetidae]], which includes all [[vole]]s, [[lemming]]s, and most [[Mouse|mice]] native to the Americas, and [[hamsters]] in Eurasia. The muskrat is much smaller than a [[beaver]] (''Castor canadensis''), with which they often share a habitat.<ref name="caras" /><ref name="nowak" />

Muskrats are covered with short, thick fur, which is medium to dark brown or black, with the belly a bit lighter ([[Countershading|countershaded]]); as the animal ages, it turns partly gray. The fur has two layers, which protect it from cold water. They have long tails covered with scales rather than hair. To aid in swimming, their tails are slightly flattened vertically,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://m.extension.illinois.edu/wildlife/directory_show.cfm?species=muskrat |title=Wildlife Directory: Muskrat |website=Living with Wildlife in Illinois |publisher=University of Illinois Extension|access-date=2012-12-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110518043248/http://m.extension.illinois.edu/wildlife/directory_show.cfm?species=muskrat|archive-date=2011-05-18|url-status=dead}}</ref> a shape that is unique to them.<ref>{{cite web|last=Lavender|first=Catherine |url=http://www.library.csi.cuny.edu/dept/history/lavender/muskrat.html |title=Late Winter on Staten Island: The Crepuscular Dance of the Muskrats|website=Staten Island Through the Seasons |publisher=College of Staten Island |access-date=2012-12-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120204075059/http://www.library.csi.cuny.edu/dept/history/lavender/muskrat.html |archive-date=2012-02-04 |url-status=dead}}</ref> When they walk on land, their tails drag on the ground, which makes their tracks easy to recognize.<ref name="caras" /><ref name="nowak" />

Muskrats spend most of their time in water and are well suited to their semiaquatic life. They can swim underwater for 12 to 17 minutes. Their bodies, like those of [[Earless seal|seals]] and [[whale]]s, are less sensitive to the buildup of [[carbon dioxide]] than those of most other mammals. They can close off their ears to keep water out. Their hind feet are partially webbed<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ndow.org/species/muskrat|title=Muskrat|website=Nevada Department of Wildlife|year=2024|access-date=27 November 2024}}</ref> and are their primary means of propulsion. Their tail functions as a rudder, controlling the direction they swim.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Fish|first=Frank E.|year=1982|title=Function of the compressed tail of surface swimming muskrats (Ondatra zibethicus)|journal=Journal of Mammalogy|volume=63|issue=4|pages=591–597|doi=10.2307/1380263|jstor=1380263}}</ref>

== Distribution and ecology ==
[[File:Muskrat eating plant.jpg|thumb|A muskrat eating a plant, showing the long claws used for digging burrows]]

Muskrats are found in most of Canada, the United States, and a small part of northern Mexico. They were introduced to Europe at the beginning of the 20th century and have become an [[invasive species]] in northwestern Europe. They primarily inhabit wetlands, areas in or near saline and freshwater wetlands, rivers, lakes, or ponds. They are not found in Florida, where the [[round-tailed muskrat]], or Florida water rat (''Neofiber alleni''), fills their [[ecological niche]].<ref name="caras" />

Their populations naturally cycle; in areas where they become abundant, they can remove much of the vegetation in wetlands.<ref>{{cite book|last=O'Neil |first=Ted |year=1949 |title=The Muskrat in the Louisiana Coastal Marshes: A Study of the Ecological, Geological, Biological, Tidal, and Climatic Factors Governing the Production and Management of the Muskrat Industry in Louisiana |place=New Orleans, Louisiana |publisher=Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries|lccn=50063347}}{{page needed|date=September 2021}}</ref> They are thought to play a major role in determining the vegetation of prairie wetlands in particular.<ref>{{cite book|editor-last=van der Valk |editor-first=Arnold G. |year=1989 |title=Northern Prairie Wetlands |place=Ames, Iowa |publisher=Iowa State University Press|isbn=0-8138-0037-4|lccn=88009266}}{{page needed|date=September 2021}}</ref> They also selectively remove preferred plant species, thereby changing the abundance of plant species in many kinds of wetlands.<ref name="Keddy" /> Species commonly eaten include [[Typha|cattail]] and [[Nuphar polysepala|yellow water lily]]. Alligators are thought to be an important natural predator, and the absence of muskrats from Florida may, in part, be the result of alligator predation.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Keddy|first1=Paul A.|last2=Gough|first2=Laura |last3=Nyman|first3=J. Andy |last4=McFalls|first4=Tiffany |last5=Carter|first5=Jacoby |last6=Siegrist|first6=Jack |year=2009 |chapter=Alligator Hunters, Pelt Traders, and Runaway Consumption of Gulf Coast Marshes: A Trophic Cascade Perspective on Coastal Wetland Losses |title=Human Impacts on Salt Marshes: A Global Perspective |editor-last1=Silliman|editor-first1=Brian R.|editor-last2=Grosholz|editor-first2=Edwin D.|editor-last3=Bertness|editor-first3=Mark D.|editor-link3=Mark Bertness|pages=115–133 |place=Berkeley, California |publisher=University of California Press|isbn=978-0-520-25892-1|lccn=2008048366}}</ref>

While much wetland habitat has been eliminated due to human activity, new muskrat habitat has been created by the construction of [[canal]]s or [[irrigation]] channels (e.g., [[acequia]]s), and the muskrat remains widespread. They can live alongside streams that contain the [[sulfur]]ous water that drains away from [[coal]] mines. Fish and frogs perish in such streams, yet muskrats may thrive and occupy the wetlands. Muskrats also benefit from human persecution of some of their predators.<ref name="nowak" />

The muskrat is classed as a "prohibited new organism" under New Zealand's [[Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996]], preventing it from being imported into the country.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1996/0030/latest/DLM386556.html#DLM386556|title=Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 2003 – Schedule 2 Prohibited new organisms|publisher=New Zealand Legislation|access-date=26 January 2012}}</ref>

The [[Trematoda|trematode]] ''[[Metorchis conjunctus]]'' can also infect muskrats.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Chai|first1=Jong-Yil |last2=Murrell |first2=K. Darwin |last3=Lymbery|first3=Alan J.|date=October 2005|title=Fish-borne parasitic zoonoses: Status and issues|journal=[[International Journal for Parasitology]]|volume=35|issue=11–12|pages=1233–1254|doi=10.1016/j.ijpara.2005.07.013|pmid=16143336 |s2cid=39281434}}</ref>

===Decline in the United States===
According to an April 2024 article in ''[[Hakai Magazine]]'', the muskrat populations have declined by at least one-half in 34 US states. The collapse was near-total, between 90 and 99 percent in a handful of states. Rhode Island's muskrat populations are estimated to be roughly 15 percent of what they were several decades ago.
The decline in muskrat populations began in the 1990s and early 2000s.<ref>{{cite news |last=Keim |first=Brandon |url=https://hakaimagazine.com/features/the-magnificent-lives-and-quiet-loss-of-muskrats |title=The Waning Reign of the Wetland Architect We Barely Know (Hint: Not a Beaver) |work= [[Hakai Magazine]] |publisher=Tula Foundation and Hakai Institute family. |date=2024-04-23 |accessdate=2024-04-24 }}</ref>

== Subspecies ==
[[File:Distribution of Ondatra zibethicus.png|thumb|upright=1.3|Distribution of subspecies in North America.
{{legend|#701c05|''O.z.zibethicus''}}
{{legend|#f6e355|''O.z.albus''}}
{{legend|#c0935d|''O.z.aquilonius''}}
{{legend|#0d0d0d|''O.z.bernardi''}}
{{legend|#355429|''O.z.cinnamominus''}}
{{legend|#9cc8de|''O.z.goldmani''}}
{{legend|#1c2879|''O.z.macrodon''}}
{{legend|#5a5a5a|''O.z.mergens''}}
{{legend|#919191|''O.z.obscurus''}}
{{legend|#eba648|''O.z.occipitalis''}}
{{legend|#457c93|''O.z.osoyoosensis''}}
{{legend|#b8a3c4|''O.z.pallidus''}}
{{legend|#6a408d|''O.z.ripensis''}}
{{legend|#61e32f|''O.z.rivalicus''}}
{{legend|#ef9999|''O.z.spatulatus''}}
{{legend|#cc4a4a|''O.z.zalophus''}}]]
''Ondatra zibethicus'' has 16 subspecies: ''O.z. albus'', ''O.z. aquihnis'', ''O.z. bemardi'', ''O.z. cinnamominus'', ''O.z. macrodom'', ''O.z. mergens'', ''O.z. obscurus'', ''O.z. occipitalis'', ''O.z. osoyoosensis'', ''O.z. pallidus'', ''O.z.ripensis'', ''O.z. rivalicus'', ''O.z. roidmani'', ''O.z. spatulatus'', ''O.z. zalaphus'' and ''O.z. zibethicus''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Identification of Invasive Alien Species using DNA barcodes |url=https://bopco.myspecies.info/sites/bopco.myspecies.info/files/BopCo_DNA_Factsheet_Ondatra_zibethicus.pdf |publisher=Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences |access-date=23 January 2023}}</ref>

== Invasiveness status ==
In Europe, the muskrat has been included in the [[list of invasive alien species of Union concern]] (the Union list) since August 2, 2017.<ref>{{Cite web|title=List of Invasive Alien Species of Union concern |url=https://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/invasivealien/list/index_en.htm|access-date=2021-07-27|website=ec.europa.eu|publisher=European Commission}}</ref> This implies that this species cannot be imported, bred, transported, commercialized, or intentionally released into the environment in the whole of the [[European Union]].<ref>{{Cite journal|title=REGULATION (EU) No 1143/2014 of the European parliament and of the council of 22 October 2014 on the prevention and management of the introduction and spread of invasive alien species|url=https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32014R1143&from=EN|journal=[[Official Journal of the European Union]]|date=4 November 2014|volume=57|issue=L 317|pages=35–55|access-date=25 September 2021}}</ref> Muskrats were introduced to Europe in the early 20th century for fur farming. In many European countries, muskrats have become problematic, damaging flood control systems, crops, and river banks with burrowing activities.<ref name="Observations on the Muskrat">{{cite journal | url=https://doi.org/10.1086/274091 | doi=10.1086/274091 | title=Observations on the Muskrat | date=1885 | last1=Butler | first1=Amos W. | journal=The American Naturalist | volume=19 | issue=11 | pages=1044–1055 | bibcode=1885ANat...19.1044B | url-access=subscription }}</ref> Their presence is particularly concerning in areas with delicate ecosystems, where they can outcompete or displace native species. Several European countries have implemented control measures and eradication programs to manage muskrat populations and mitigate their impact.<ref name="Observations on the Muskrat"/>

== Behavior ==
[[File:Muskrat lodge.jpg|thumb|A muskrat house]]

Muskrats normally live in families consisting of a male and female and their young. During the spring, they often fight with other muskrats over territory and potential mates. Many are injured or killed in these fights. Muskrat families build nests to protect themselves and their young from cold and predators. Muskrats burrow into the bank with an underwater entrance in streams, ponds, or lakes. These entrances are {{convert|6–8|in|cm|0|order=flip|abbr=on}} wide. In marshes, push-ups are constructed from vegetation and mud. These push-ups are up to {{convert|3|ft|cm|-1|order=flip|abbr=on}} in height. In snowy areas, they keep the openings to their push-ups closed by plugging them with vegetation, which they replace daily. Some muskrat push-ups are swept away in spring floods and must be replaced yearly. Muskrats also build feeding platforms constructed in the water from cut pieces of vegetation supported by a branch structure. They help maintain open areas in marshes, which helps to provide habitat for [[aquatic animal|aquatic birds]].<ref name="nowak" /><ref>{{cite book|last=Attenborough|first=David |author-link=David Attenborough |year=2002 |title=The Life of Mammals |place=Princeton, New Jersey |publisher=Princeton University Press |isbn=0-691-11324-6}}{{page needed|date=September 2021}}</ref>

Muskrats are most active at night or near dawn and dusk. They feed on cattails and other aquatic vegetation. They do not store food for the winter, but sometimes eat the insides of their push-ups. While they may appear to steal food beavers have stored, more seemingly cooperative partnerships with beavers exist, as featured in the [[BBC]] [[David Attenborough]] wildlife documentary ''[[The Life of Mammals]]''.<ref>{{cite episode|last=Attenborough |first=David |date=11 December 2002 |title=Chisellers |series=[[The Life of Mammals]] |network=[[BBC One]]}}</ref> Plant materials compose about 95% of their diets, but they also eat small animals, such as freshwater [[mussel]]s, [[frog]]s, [[crayfish]], [[fish]], and small [[turtle]]s.<ref name="caras" /><ref name="nowak" /> Muskrats follow trails they make in swamps and ponds. They continue to follow their trails under the ice when the water freezes. 

Muskrats provide an important food resource for many other animals, including [[mink]], [[Red fox|red]] and [[gray fox]]es, [[cougar]]s, [[coyote]]s, [[wolf|wolves]], [[Eurasian lynx|boreal lynx]], [[Canada lynx]], [[bobcat]]s, [[raccoon]]s, [[brown bear|brown]] and [[American black bear|black bears]], [[wolverine]]s, [[eagle]]s, [[hawk]]s, large [[owl]]s, [[snake]]s, [[alligator]]s, and [[bull shark]]s. [[Otter]]s, [[Common snapping turtle|snapping turtles]], [[heron]]s, [[bullfrog]]s, large fish such as [[Esox|pike]] and [[largemouth bass]], and predatory land reptiles such as [[monitor lizards]] prey on baby muskrats. [[Reindeer|Caribou]], [[moose]], and [[elk]] sometimes feed on the vegetation which makes up muskrat push-ups during the winter when other food is scarce for them.<ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.science.mcmaster.ca/Biology/Harbour/SPECIES/MUSKRAT/MUSKRAT.HTM | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070422112933/http://www.science.mcmaster.ca/Biology/Harbour/SPECIES/MUSKRAT/MUSKRAT.HTM| archive-date= 22 April 2007 | title= The Muskrat |website=Hamilton Harbour|publisher= McMaster University}}</ref> In their introduced range in the former Soviet Union, the muskrat's greatest predator is the [[golden jackal]]. They can be completely eradicated in shallow water bodies. During the winter of 1948–49 in the [[Amu Darya]] (river in central Asia), muskrats constituted 12.3% of jackal feces contents, and 71% of muskrat houses were destroyed by jackals, 16% of which froze and became unsuitable for muskrat occupation. Jackals also harm the muskrat industry by eating muskrats caught in traps or taking skins left out to dry.<ref name="soviet">{{cite book|editor-last1=Heptner|editor-first1=V. G. |editor-last2=Naumov|editor-first2=N. P.|year=1998 |title=Mammals of the Soviet Union |volume=II Part 1a, Sirenia and Carnivora (Sea Cows, Wolves and Bears)|place=Enfield, New Hampshire|publisher=Science Publishers|isbn=1-886106-81-9}}{{page needed|date=September 2021}}</ref>

Muskrats, like most rodents, are prolific breeders. Females can have two or three litters a year of six to eight young each. The babies are born small and hairless and weigh only about {{convert|22|g|oz|abbr=on}}. In southern environments, young muskrats mature in six months, while in colder northern environments, it takes about a year. Muskrat populations appear to go through a regular pattern of rise and dramatic decline spread over a six- to ten-year period. Some other rodents, including famously the muskrat's close relatives, such as the lemmings, go through the same type of population changes.

== Human uses ==
Native Americans have long considered the muskrat to be an important animal. Some predict winter snowfall levels by observing the size and timing of muskrat lodge construction.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Science for the Native Orientated Classroom|journal=Journal of American Indian Education|date=May 1982|last=Smith|first=Murray R.|volume=21|issue=3|pages=13–17|url=http://jaie.asu.edu/v21/V21S3sci.html|publisher=Arizona State University|jstor=24397307|s2cid=151033740|access-date=2010-01-08|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100616090841/http://jaie.asu.edu/v21/V21S3sci.html|archive-date=2010-06-16}}</ref> In several Native American [[creation myth]]s, the muskrat dives to the bottom of the primordial sea to bring up the mud from which the earth is created after other animals have failed in the task.<ref>{{cite web|last=Musgrave |first=Philip L.|date=December 5, 2004 |url=http://www.muskrat.com/index.htm#MuskratLegends |title=How the Muskrat Created the World |website=Muskrat's Den |access-date=11 November 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071130175512/http://www.muskrat.com/index.htm|archive-date=2007-11-30|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Muskrats have sometimes been a food resource for North Americans.<ref name="Apicius2012">{{cite book |author=Apicius |author-link=Apicius |editor-last=Vehling |editor-first=Joseph Dommers |title=Cookery and Dining in Imperial Rome |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=22bOitPwJhwC&pg=PA205 |year=2012 |orig-year=1977 |place=New York |publisher=Dover Publications |isbn=978-0-486-15649-1 |lccn=77089410 |page=205}}</ref> In the southeastern portion of [[Michigan]], a longstanding [[Dispensation (canon law)|dispensation]] allows Catholics to consume muskrat as their Friday penance, on [[Ash Wednesday]], and on [[Lent]]en Fridays (when the eating of flesh, except for fish, is prohibited); this tradition dates back to at least the early 19th century.<ref>{{cite news |first=Kristin |last=Lukowski |date=March 8, 2007 |title=Muskrat love: Friday Lent delight for some OKed as fish alternative |agency=[[Catholic News Service]] |work=Catholic Online |url= http://www.catholic.org/national/national_story.php?id=23328 |access-date=March 31, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130326220727/http://www.catholic.org/national/national_story.php?id=23328 |archive-date=March 26, 2013}}</ref> In 2019, it was reported that a series of muskrat dinners were held during Lent in the areas along the [[Detroit River]], with up to 900 muskrats being consumed at a single dinner. The preparation involved the removal of the musk [[gland]]s (situated in the tail but possibly contaminating the lower belly)<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Xie |first1=Wenqian |last2=Mu |first2=Shengheng |last3=Zhong |first3=Jinkun |last4=Zhang |first4=Chaoran |last5=Zhang |first5=Haolin |last6=Wang |first6=Xiaodong |last7=Weng |first7=Qiang |date=2022-07-18 |title=Mass Spectrometry Imaging of Lipids in the Scent Glands of Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) in Different Reproductive Statuses |journal=Cells |volume=11 |issue=14 |pages=2228 |doi=10.3390/cells11142228 |doi-access=free |issn=2073-4409 |pmc=9322022 |pmid=35883671}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Miracle |first1=Leonard |title=Complete Book of Camping |last2=Decker |first2=Maurice H. |date=1961 |publisher=Harper & Row |location=New York |pages=406}}</ref> and the gutting and cleaning of the carcass before the meat was [[parboil]]ed for four hours with onion and garlic and finally fried.<ref>{{cite news|last=Broverman|first=Alison |url=https://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/as-it-happens-friday-edition-1.5105193/why-detroit-s-catholics-can-eat-muskrat-on-fridays-during-lent-1.5103755|title=Why Detroit's Catholics can eat muskrat on Fridays during Lent|publisher=CBC Radio|date=19 April 2019|access-date=7 March 2021}}</ref>

Muskrat fur is warm, becoming prime in northern North America at the beginning of December. In the early 20th century, the trapping of the animal for its fur became an important industry there. During that era, the fur was specially trimmed and dyed to be sold widely in the US as "Hudson seal" fur.<ref>{{citation|last=Ciardi |first=John|author-link=John Ciardi |date=1983|title=On Words |publisher=NPR}}{{Full citation needed|date=September 2021}}</ref> Muskrats were introduced at that time to Europe as a fur resource and spread throughout northern Europe and Asia.

In some European countries, such as Belgium, France, and the Netherlands, the muskrat is considered an invasive pest, as its burrowing damages the dikes and [[levee]]s on which these low-lying countries depend for protection from flooding. In those countries, it is trapped, poisoned, and hunted to attempt to keep the population down. Muskrats also eat [[corn]] and other farm and garden crops growing near water bodies.<ref name="nowak" />

[[Royal Canadian Mounted Police]] winter hats are made from muskrat fur.<ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.williamscully.ca/gallery2/v/Headwear/sylvie_4.jpg.html| title= RCMP Muskrat Winter Cap| website= williamscully.ca| publisher= William Scully Ltd.| date= 9 February 2005| access-date= 9 June 2015| archive-date= June 5, 2015| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150605194459/http://www.williamscully.ca/gallery2/v/Headwear/sylvie_4.jpg.html| url-status= dead}}</ref>

<gallery widths="200px" heights="200px">
File:Muskrat (musquash) fur backs, jacket.jpg|Muskrat [[fur coat]]
File:Muskrat trap.jpg|Muskrat trap in the Netherlands
</gallery>

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Wikispecies|Ondatra}}
* {{Commons category inline|Ondatra zibethicus|italic=on}}
* {{Wikisource inline|The New Student's Reference Work/Muskrat|''The New Student's Reference Work'': "Muskrat"}}
* {{ITIS |id=180318 |taxon=Ondatra zibethicus}}
* [http://my.net-link.net/0B/93/vaneselk/muskrat Everything Muskrat]
* [http://www.muskrat.com/index.htm#MuskratLegends How Muskrat Created the World – Native American Legends] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060104084745/http://www.muskrat.com/index.htm#MuskratLegends |date=January 4, 2006 }}

{{Arvicolinae}}
{{Myomorpha|E.|state=collapsed}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q26283}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Arctic land animals]]
[[Category:Fauna of the Great Lakes region (North America)]]
[[Category:Mammals described in 1766]]
[[Category:Rodents of the United States]]
[[Category:Rodents of Canada]]
[[Category:Rodents of Mexico]]
[[Category:Mammals of the Arctic]]
[[Category:Semiaquatic mammals]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus]]
[[Category:Arvicolinae]]