Muskrats Solutions

Muskrats are widely distributed throughout North America. Muskrats are dependent upon habitats including water. This species thrives in many lakes, rivers, creeks, ponds, and marshes. Muskrats can tolerate a certain amount of pollution in water, and this important furbearer is often found living within large cities.

Description

The muskrat is classified as a rodent because of its four incisor teeth in the front of the mouth. The two upper and two lower incisors overlap, allowing them to self-sharpen as they

are used. Folds of skin behind the incisors allow a submerged muskrat to cut vegetation without getting water into its mouth. The size and weight of muskrats varies with regions, and the quality of food available. Southern muskrats average around two pounds in weight, and weights of three and four pounds are common for muskrats in the Northern states. Most adult muskrats attain a length of 22-25 inches, including the nearly hairless tail.   The muskrat has relatively small front feet, with four major toes and small thumbs. Hind feet are much

larger, and partially webbed. The tail of a muskrat is deeper than it is wide, and it tapers to a blunt point at the end. The species use their tails as an aid to swimming.

Muskrat fur is short and dense. Colors are mostly browns with lighter shades of grays or blondes on chest and stomach areas. The under fur traps air, and prevents the skin of the muskrat from becoming wet while it is in the water. Musk glands are predominant beneath the skin on the lower abdomen of male muskrats. These two glands become swollen during the spring and produce a yellowish, musky smelling fluid.

Reproduction

Adult muskrats can have up to five litters in a year's time. Muskrats in northern states seem to average about 2.5 litters a year. Muskrats in southern states often average 3 litters. Litter sizes vary, and 5 or 6 kits per litter is common. Muskrats produce fewer litters when populations are dense and more litters when populations are sparse. The quality and abundance of food also affects the number of litters as well as litter sizes. Female muskrats born in the spring are sometimes capable of raising their own litter by late summer or early autumn. An average female muskrat will raise about 15 or 16 young in a good year. The gestation period for muskrats is 29 days.

Habits

Muskrats are somewhat sociable with others of the same species, but will often fight to the death as populations become dense. Preferred foods include a variety of vegetation, including roots, stems, and buds. Muskrats are often active during the day, as well as night, with peak activities near dawn and dusk. Muskrats commonly stay underwater for five minutes while searching for food and they are capable of holding their breath underwater for 10-12 minutes. In many marshy areas muskrats build dome shaped lodges of vegetation in the water, similar to beaver lodges, but smaller in size, these lodges have one or more underwater entrances,

and commonly house an entire family group. Smaller but similar structures are known as "push-ups". These push-ups usually serve a muskrat as a protected feeding and resting area, especially after ice forms on the water surface. Bank dens are common and these usually have underwater entrances leading upwards to hollow chambers in the bank above the waterline.   Damage Muskrats burrow in the banks of rivers, streams, and

ponds. Uncontrolled muskrat populations cause damage to private property and habitat. Hole digging activities undermine earthen dams, levees, and dikes. Damages also occur to irrigation canals and farm ponds. Large populations of muskrats also cause "eat-outs". These areas are simply over cropped by the feeding activities of the muskrats and the loss of vegetation and resulting silting makes the area less productive for other wildlife species as well. Muskrat "eat-outs" often destroy the roots of the vegetation, and it may take 15-20 years for the habitat to return to its original capacity to serve wildlife. Muskrats are an important prey for a variety of wildlife, including mink, fox, coyotes, hawks and owls.

Control

There are a number of control methods ranging from excluding muskrats by changing their habitat to elimination and trapping. Each state may have different regulations as to methods allowed. However, trapping and removal is often the most effective and permanent. Please contact one of our professional wildlife control specialists for service in your area.

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