The muskrat is a rodent reaching about 2 feet in length. Muskrats build shelters in shallow water or burrow into stream banks. The 10 inch furless tail of the muskrat is slightly flattened. Several litters of from 2 to 9 young are raised each season. Muskrats feed on cattail roots and stalks and other wetland plants and sometimes include clams or fish in their diet. The range of the muskrat extends through most of the United States and north into Canada.
photo by Leonard Lee Rue III, The International Wildlife Encyclopedia, Volume 12, Marshall Cavendish Corporation, New York.