Muskrat

Muskrat
	Muskrat swimming in Ottawa, Canada
Conservation status
	; Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Rodentia
Family:	Cricetidae
Subfamily:	Arvicolinae
Tribe:	Ondatrini
Genus:	Ondatra; Link, 1795
Species:	O. zibethicus
Binomial name
	Ondatra zibethicus; (Linnaeus, 1766)
	Range of the Muskrat Native Introduced
Synonyms
	Castor zibethicus Linnaeus, 1766

The muskrat or common muskrat^[1] (Ondatra zibethicus) is a rodent. They live in freshwater and saltwater marshes, lakes, ponds, and streams. Muskrats often build dome-shaped houses in marshes. These houses, made of plants, protect the muskrat from predators, since the only entrance is underwater. Some muskrats live in burrows on the water banks. Muskrats are excellent swimmers but are slow on land.

Muskrats are native to North America, but have been brought to Europe and Asia, where they now live in the wild. Muskrats got their name because they have musk glands that produce a strong scent.

Subspecies

Ondatra zibethicus has 16 subspecies: O. z. albus, O. z. aquihnis, O. z. bemardi, O. z. cinnamominus, O. z. macrodom, O. z. mergens, O. z. obscurus, O. z. occipitalis, O. z. osoyoosensis, O. z. pallidus, O. z. ripensis, O. z. rivalicus, O. z. roidmani, O. z. spatulatus, O. z. zalaphus and O. z. zibethicus.^[2]