Muskrats

Muskrats are rodents. They spend most of their time in the water. They have long, flat tails. Their back feet are partly webbed. This makes muskrats good swimmers.

Muskrats have large heads. They have thick fur. The fur has two layers. The bottom layer traps air. This keeps the muskrats warm. It also helps them float.

Muskrats usually live in marshes or swamps. They also live in lakes and rivers. Muskrats build nests from plants and mud. They also dig burrows.

Muskrats mostly eat plants. They eat grass and cattails. Sometimes they eat fish or crayfish. If there is not much food, they eat the inside of their nests.

Female muskrats have one to three litters of babies each year. Baby muskrats live with their parents in a nest or burrow. Muskrats live for approximately three years in the wild.