Wildlife

Muskrats average 10 to 14 inches in length with an additional 8 to 11 inch tail. Their coats range from a silvery brown to dark brown with lighter underparts and they have dark brown or black feet. Muskrats are often mistaken for beavers at first glance. But the muskrats' smaller size, only 2 to 4 pounds, and their long, scaly, rat-like tail help to differentiate them from the larger beavers.

Muskrats are chiefly aquatic and build conical houses, or nests, in open swampy areas, constructed of vegetation piled into mounds two to three feet above the water's surface and five to six feet in diameter. They construct well-defined channels through the emergent vegetation along the banks of streams and ponds. Muskrats primarily feed on aquatic plants but they may also eat mussels, shrimp, and small fish.

Breeding usually occurs in April through August, with litters of 7 or 8 young. Muskrats are highly productive and may have more than one litter per year. The young are weaned at about one month old, but may stay with their parents beyond that time.

Resources:

Burt, William H. and Richard P. Grossenheider. 1980. Peterson field guide to mammals. Houghton Mifflin Company. Boston Massachusetts.

Alaska Geographic Society. 1996. Mammals of Alaska: a comprehensive field guide from the publishers of Alaska geographic. The Alaska Geographic Society. Anchorage Alaska.

For more information, visit the Alaska Department of Fish and Game's wildlife notebook pages.