Muskrat

Muskrat, semiaquatic rodent found in North America. Its body, about 30 cm (about 12 in) long, is covered with brown to blackish outer hairs and a dense underfur. The tail, almost as long as the body and nearly hairless, is scaly and flattened laterally; it is used as a rudder in swimming. The hind feet are partially webbed. Musk (hence the animal's name) is secreted by glands near the genitals. A muskrat's house is a pile of vegetation set in a slow-moving river or a fresh- or saltwater marsh, lake, or pond, or the animal may construct a burrow in a river bank. Its diet is mostly water plants, but it also eats freshwater mussels, other invertebrates, and even fish. One female can bear several litters, of 1 to 11 young, in one year, especially in warmer regions; the gestation period is about one month. Muskrat fur is commercially important; the animal was introduced into Europe for this purpose but has also become a pest there.

Scientific classification: The muskrat belongs to the family Muridae, order Rodentia. It is classified as Ondatra zibethicus.