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Ondatra zibethicus

(Linnaeus, 1766)

Common Muskrat

G5Secure Found in 109 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.103944
Element CodeAMAFF15010
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassMammalia
OrderRodentia
FamilyCricetidae
GenusOndatra
Other Common Names
common muskrat (EN) Muskrat (EN) Rat musqué (FR)
Concept Reference
Wilson, D. E., and D. M. Reeder (editors). 1993. Mammal species of the world: a taxonomic and geographic reference. Second edition. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC. xviii + 1206 pp. Available online at: http://www.nmnh.si.edu/msw/.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2024-08-18
Change Date1996-11-13
Edition Date2024-08-18
Edition AuthorsYoung, B.
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank Reasons
Although it is undergoing widespread and long-term population declines, this species remains geographically broadly distributed and common.
Range Extent Comments
This species occurs in North America, north to the treeline, including Newfoundland, Canada; south to the Gulf Coast, Rio Grande, and lower Colorado River valleys, U.S.A.; introduced and now widespread in Eurasia as well as Argentina.
Occurrences Comments
Widespread with likely many hundreds to thousands of occurrences.
Threat Impact Comments
Causes of declines are not well understood rangewide, but four factors appear to be important at least in portions of the range. These are loss of wetlands (and accompanying loss of connectivity among persisting wetlands) due to draining, pollution (runoff of pesticides, herbicides, and pharmaceutical waste), climate change and the effects of weather extremes on hydrology, increased predation from coyotes and raccoons (which feed on kits) (Ahlers and Heske 2017, Ward and Gorelick 2018). Water level management, while directly affecting water available, also indirectly affects the quality of emergent vegetation, an essential habitat feature for this species (Sadowski and Bowman 2021).
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Prefers fresh or brackish marshes, lakes, ponds, swamps, and other bodies of slow-moving water. Most abundant in areas with cattail. Rare or absent in large artificial impoundments where fluctuating water levels eliminate littoral zone plants (food supply) (Caire et al. 1989). Dens in bank burrow or conical house of vegetation in shallow vegetated water. Sometimes in uplands-Clough 1987.

See Clark (1994) for information on habitat selection in experimental marshes undergoing succession in Manitoba.

Ecology

Generally solitary but several may use same general area; in winter several may congregate in single den. Territoriality common (Caire et al. 1989), mostly in breeding season.

Home range sizes relatively small; usually does not forage more than 11 m from home site (Baker 1983). In marginal areas, foraging excursions greater. Seasonal home range may range from less than 0.1 ha to several hectares (see Marinelli and Messier 1993). Home ranges generally less than 100 m in diameter (Takos 1944, Boutin and Birkenholz 1987). However, along linear waterways, home ranges average 411 meters long (Willner et al. 1980).

Populations fluctuate, density up to about 90/ha, usually much less (6/ha, 24/ha, and 36/ha in three studies cited by Marinelli and Messier 1993).

In Manitoba, spatial and temporal variation in vegetation response to flooding contributed to variation in the density dependence of both survival and recruitment; reductions in emergent vegetation caused by flooding resulted in decreased winter survival (Clark and Kroeker 1993).

Reproduction

Gestation lasts 28-30 days. Average of 2-3 litters/year. Litter size is 1-12 (usually averages about 5-6). Weaned and fairly independent after about 1 month. Sexually mature in 4-6 months. In Saskatchewan, polygyny was common (Marinelli and Messier 1993). Typically high rate of mortality in young.
Palustrine Habitats
HERBACEOUS WETLANDFORESTED WETLANDRiparian
Other Nations (2)
CanadaN5
ProvinceRankNative
British ColumbiaS5Yes
ManitobaS5Yes
Northwest TerritoriesS5Yes
AlbertaS5Yes
Island of NewfoundlandS3Yes
LabradorS5Yes
New BrunswickS5Yes
OntarioS4Yes
Nova ScotiaS5Yes
QuebecS5Yes
Yukon TerritoryS4Yes
Prince Edward IslandS5Yes
SaskatchewanS5Yes
NunavutS4Yes
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
OhioSNRYes
PennsylvaniaS4Yes
OregonS5Yes
IndianaS5Yes
West VirginiaS5Yes
IllinoisS5Yes
MassachusettsS5Yes
LouisianaS4Yes
IowaS5Yes
VirginiaS5Yes
GeorgiaS5Yes
South CarolinaS4Yes
IdahoS4Yes
South DakotaS5Yes
ArkansasS5Yes
ArizonaS4Yes
North CarolinaS5Yes
CaliforniaSNRYes
District of ColumbiaS4Yes
NevadaS5Yes
WisconsinS5Yes
KentuckyS5Yes
TennesseeS5Yes
AlaskaS5Yes
MichiganS5Yes
North DakotaS5Yes
New YorkS5Yes
New JerseyS5Yes
MissouriS4Yes
DelawareS5Yes
MississippiS5Yes
WyomingS5Yes
OklahomaSNRYes
New HampshireS5Yes
UtahS4Yes
MinnesotaSNRYes
Rhode IslandS5Yes
TexasS5Yes
NebraskaS5Yes
ConnecticutS5Yes
MontanaS4Yes
Navajo NationS4Yes
AlabamaS5Yes
MarylandS5Yes
New MexicoS4Yes
ColoradoS5Yes
KansasS5Yes
VermontS5Yes
MaineS5Yes
WashingtonS5Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
7 - Natural system modificationsPervasive (71-100%)Serious - slightHigh (continuing)
7.2 - Dams & water management/usePervasive (71-100%)Serious - slightHigh (continuing)
8 - Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseasesUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
8.2 - Problematic native species/diseasesUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
9 - PollutionRestricted - smallModerate - slightHigh (continuing)
9.2 - Industrial & military effluentsUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
9.3 - Agricultural & forestry effluentsRestricted - smallModerate - slightHigh (continuing)
11 - Climate change & severe weatherPervasive (71-100%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
11.4 - Storms & floodingPervasive (71-100%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)

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Roadless Areas (109)
Alaska (3)
AreaForestAcres
Johnson PassChugach National Forest152,508
Kenai LakeChugach National Forest213,172
ResurrectionChugach National Forest224,615
Arizona (1)
AreaForestAcres
Lower San FranciscoApache-Sitgreaves National Forests59,310
California (5)
AreaForestAcres
Hoover - Mt.olsenHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest624
Hoover - Twin LakesHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest102
Mt. OlsenInyo National Forest2,161
Robinson PeakHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest5,835
Timbered CraterLassen National Forest4,096
Colorado (5)
AreaForestAcres
Dome PeakRoutt NF35,716
HermosaSan Juan NF148,103
Long ParkRoutt NF42,100
San MiguelSan Juan NF64,263
Storm PeakSan Juan NF57,617
Idaho (6)
AreaForestAcres
Bear CreekCaribou-Targhee National Forest118,582
HoodooNez Perce-Clearwater National Forest153,868
Italian PeakCaribou-Targhee National Forest141,158
NeedlesPayette National Forest131,279
PalisadesCaribou-Targhee National Forest122,002
Peace RockBoise National Forest191,734
Missouri (1)
AreaForestAcres
Irish Rare II Study AreaMark Twain National Forest1,226
Montana (31)
AreaForestAcres
Bear - Marshall - Scapegoat - SwanLewis and Clark National Forest344,022
Bear - Marshall - Scapegoat - SwanLolo National Forest118,485
Benchmark Ra 1126Flathead National Forest6,318
Big LogHelena National Forest8,954
Big Snowy Mountains WsaLewis and Clark National Forest88,003
Bmss Ra 1485Flathead National Forest334,275
BridgerGallatin National Forest45,059
Buckhorn Ridge (MT)Kootenai National Forest34,716
Cabin Creek Wildlife Management Area OcdGallatin National Forest35,048
Cabinet Face East #671Kootenai National Forest50,326
Coal Ridge Ra 1127Flathead National Forest15,429
Cube Iron - SilcoxLolo National Forest36,998
Devils TowerHelena National Forest7,144
Flagstaff Mountain #690Kootenai National Forest11,114
Freezeout MountainBeaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest97,305
Gallatin FringeGallatin National Forest51,571
Italian PeakBeaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest90,401
Lazyman GulchHelena National Forest11,614
LionheadGallatin National Forest33,549
MadisonGallatin National Forest127,859
Mt. Gmt Area HCuster National Forest1,335
North AbsarokaCuster National Forest21,063
North AbsarokaGallatin National Forest159,075
North Big HoleBeaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest52,227
Red Lodge Creek HellroaringCuster National Forest17,210
Scotchman Peaks (MT)Kootenai National Forest53,909
Selway - Bitterroot (01067)Bitterroot National Forest114,953
Tenderfoot - Deep CreekLewis and Clark National Forest85,614
Thompson Seton RA 1483Flathead National Forest52,235
West Big HoleBeaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest133,563
West PioneerBeaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest248,631
Nevada (3)
AreaForestAcres
Pearl PeakHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest71,405
Rose - GalenaHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest3,711
Rose - Whites CanyonHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest2,568
New Hampshire (1)
AreaForestAcres
Carr MountainWhite Mountain National Forest17,110
North Carolina (1)
AreaForestAcres
Tusquitee BaldNantahala National Forest13,670
North Dakota (2)
AreaForestAcres
Bullion ButteDakota Prairie Grasslands19,877
Ponderosa PineDakota Prairie Grasslands7,471
Oregon (3)
AreaForestAcres
Hurricane CreekWallowa-Whitman National Forest1,606
Sky Lakes AWinema National Forest3,940
TenmileSiuslaw National Forest10,818
Pennsylvania (2)
AreaForestAcres
CornplanterAllegheny National Forest2,929
Tracy RidgeAllegheny National Forest9,034
South Dakota (2)
AreaForestAcres
Indian CreekBuffalo Gap National Grassland24,666
Twin Butte CreekDakota Prairie Grasslands6,700
Texas (1)
AreaForestAcres
Big CreekNational Forests in Texas1,447
Utah (19)
AreaForestAcres
418012Uinta National Forest25,758
418024Uinta National Forest51,699
418027Uinta National Forest13,884
418029Uinta National Forest15,673
Clarkston Mtn.Caribou National Forest7,099
Fishlake MountainFishlake National Forest25,217
HogsbackWasatch-Cache National Forest7,936
Little CreekFishlake National Forest11,479
Mahogany RangeWasatch-Cache National Forest11,409
Mollens HollowWasatch-Cache National Forest17,690
Mt. Logan NorthWasatch-Cache National Forest18,930
Mt. Logan SouthWasatch-Cache National Forest17,014
Mt. Logan WestWasatch-Cache National Forest5,285
Mt. NaomiWasatch-Cache National Forest41,922
Mt. OlympusWasatch-Cache National Forest9,982
Right Hand Fork LoganWasatch-Cache National Forest15,023
Table Cliffs - Henderson CanyonDixie National Forest19,581
Temple PeakWasatch-Cache National Forest24,081
WellsvilleWasatch-Cache National Forest1,717
Virginia (3)
AreaForestAcres
Brush MountainJefferson National Forest6,002
Kelley MountainGeorge Washington National Forest7,590
Seng MountainJefferson National Forest6,428
Washington (7)
AreaForestAcres
EntiatWenatchee National Forest72,617
Granite MountainOkanogan National Forest27,428
Mt. BaldyOlympic National Forest3,557
Rock CreekWenatchee National Forest32,239
TaneumWenatchee National Forest26,140
Thorp Mtn.Wenatchee National Forest22,717
Willow SpringsUmatilla National Forest10,414
West Virginia (2)
AreaForestAcres
Dolly Sods Roaring PlainMonongahela National Forest13,392
Mcgowan MountainMonongahela National Forest10,504
Wyoming (11)
AreaForestAcres
Grayback RidgeBridger-Teton National Forest295,113
Gros Ventre MountainsBridger-Teton National Forest106,418
Middle ForkMedicine Bow-Routt National Forest13,238
Pacific Creek - Blackrock CreekBridger-Teton National Forest24,658
PalisadesTarghee National Forest1,121
Phillips RidgeBridger-Teton National Forest10,108
South Beartooth HighwayShoshone National Forest105,570
Teton Corridor TrailheadsBridger-Teton National Forest286
West Slope TetonsTarghee National Forest47,448
West Slope WindsBridger-Teton National Forest143,252
Wilderness Study AreaTarghee National Forest51,961
References (34)
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