Muskrats - USDA

James E. Miller Professor Emeritus Mississippi State University Starkville, Mississippi Human-Wildlife Conflicts The muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) is a common, semi-aquatic rodent native to the United States (Figure 1). It spends its life in aquatic habitats and is well adapted for swimming. Although Muskrats are an important part of native ecosystems, their burrowing and foraging activities can damage agricultural crops, native marshes and water control systems, such as aquaculture and farm ponds and levees. Such damage can significantly impact agricultural crops like rice that rely on consistent water levels for growth. Muskrats also cause damage by eating agricultural crops, other vegetation, and crayfish, mussels and other aquaculture products.

lilies. Where freshwater mussels are eaten by muskrats, caches of mussel shells can be found on vegetation rafts or near resting and feeding sites used by muskrats. Depending upon site conditions, muskrats either dig dens in steep banks or build dome-shaped lodges in open water using vegetation and mud (Figure 3). Burrowing may not be

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  Usda, Freshwater, Mussel, Freshwater mussels

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