Barn Boards and Baling Wire

The North American Muskrat is a medium-sized semiaquatic rodent. Adult muskrats weigh 1 to 4 pounds, with a body length excluding the tail of 8 to 14 inches. They’re 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. Their webbed hind feet are the main means of propulsion; the unique tail is 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 cold and predators, often burrowed into a bank with an underwater entrance. Muskrats feed mostly on cattail and other aquatic vegetation but also eat small animals.