Ondatra zibethicus
Silhouette: PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
The muskrat or common muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) is a medium-sized semiaquatic rodent. Adult muskrats weigh 0.6–2 kg (1+1⁄4–4+1⁄2 lb), with a body length (excluding the tail) of 20–35 cm (8–14 in). They are 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, with their webbed hind feet being the main means of propulsion and the unique tail 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 the cold and predators, often burrowed into the bank with an underwater entrance. Muskrats feed mostly on cattail and other aquatic vegetation but also eat small animals.
Ondatra zibethicus is the only extant species in the genus Ondatra; its closest relative is the round-tailed muskrat (Neofiber alleni). It is the largest species in the subfamily Arvicolinae, which includes 142 other species of rodents, mostly voles and lemmings.
The species is native to North America and an introduced species in parts of Eurasia and South America. The muskrat is found in various wetlands and has crucial effects on their ecology. It is also a resource of food and fur for humans. Wikipedia →
Recording1:12
United States · 2026
© Wayne Longbottom · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recording0:13
Canada · 2023
© Biscotte · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recording0:23
Russia · 2023
© Юлия Урюпина · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elk Island National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | Hortobágy National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 3 | Riding Mountain National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 4 | Point Pelee National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 5 | Grand Teton National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Denali National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Yellowstone National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Rocky Mountain National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Tierra del Fuego National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 10 | Channel Islands National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 11 | Banff National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 12 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 13 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 14 | Great Bear Rainforest | 🇨🇦 Canada |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anchorage | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Kazan | 🇷🇺 Russia | |
| 3 | Minsk | 🇧🇾 Belarus | |
| 4 | Minneapolis [Saint Paul] | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Calgary | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 6 | Denver | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Astana | 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan | |
| 8 | Edmonton | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 9 | Rostov-on-Don | 🇷🇺 Russia | |
| 10 | Toronto | 🇨🇦 Canada |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ralph Perkins II Wildlife Center and Woods Garden | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Museum of Life and Science | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Muskrat sighting in Banff National Park on a given day, based on 24 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 21st most-seen of the 29 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Muskrat in Banff National Park on a given day, against under 5% in February–March and December, the lowest months.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Muskrat sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.
11th of 14
Of the 14 parks where we can rate Muskrat sightings, Banff National Park ranks 11th at about 10%. The best odds are in Elk Island National Park (Canada, about 50%), Hortobágy National Park (Hungary, about 30%) and Riding Mountain National Park (Canada, about 20%). All parks ranked.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Muskrat is recorded against all the mammals logged in Banff National Park (24 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
