Ondatra zibethicus
Silhouette: PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
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 |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Muskrat sighting in Philadelphia on a given day, based on 13 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 16th most-seen of the 19 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June, August and November
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Muskrat in Philadelphia on a given day, against under 5% in July, September–October and December–May, 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.
35th of 38
Of the 38 cities where we can rate Muskrat sightings, Philadelphia ranks 35th at under 5%. The best odds are in Anchorage (United States, about 30%), Kazan (Russia, about 30%) and Minsk (Belarus, about 30%).
Same family: Cricetidae
The closest relatives of the Muskrat that you can see in Philadelphia (family Cricetidae, Hamsters, Voles, Lemmings, and Allies) are White-footed Mouse (about 10%) and Meadow Vole (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Muskrat is recorded against all the mammals logged in Philadelphia (13 verified sightings), 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.
