Muskrat: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Little Mammals · day 5 of 7

Five facts

1. A muskrat can stay underwater for 12 to 17 minutes. Like seals and whales, its body copes well with holding its breath, and it can close its ears.
2. Its webbed back feet do the paddling, while its scaly, flattened tail steers like a rudder. On land, the tail drags, leaving easy-to-spot tracks.
3. In marshes it builds mounds of plants and mud up to 90 cm tall. In snowy places, it plugs the doorways with fresh plants every day.
4. In a creation story of the Haudenosaunee people, the muskrat swims down to the floor of the first sea and fetches the mud that becomes the earth.
5. It builds floating dining tables from cut plants on a frame of branches. By keeping patches of marsh open, it makes room for water birds.

The quiz

1. How long can a muskrat swim underwater?

• About 10 seconds
• 12 to 17 minutes (correct)
• About 2 hours
• Exactly 1 minute

A muskrat can stay under the water for 12 to 17 minutes.

2. What is the muskrat's tail mainly for when swimming?

• It is the main paddle that pushes it forward
• It grips branches underwater
• It stores fat for winter
• It steers like a rudder (correct)

The webbed hind feet push it along; the tail works as a rudder.

3. What are muskrat 'push-ups' in marshes made of?

• Plants and mud (correct)
• Stones and sand
• Snow only
• Feathers

Its push-ups are built from vegetation and mud, up to 90 cm tall.

4. In a Haudenosaunee creation story, what does the muskrat do?

• Steals the sun
• Builds the first canoe
• Brings up mud to make the earth (correct)
• Teaches the birds to sing

It dives to the sea floor and brings up the mud that becomes the earth.

5. How do muskrats help water birds?

• By feeding their chicks
• By keeping areas of marsh open (correct)
• By chasing away all fish
• By building nests for them

They help keep open areas in marshes, which gives water birds a habitat.

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