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muskrat
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muskrat A muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) with brown fur sits in shallow water near a grassy riverbank, holding food in its front paws as the sun sets. Illustrated chart showing the footprints of eight animals-opossum, skunk, raccoon, red fox, woodchuck, cottontail rabbit, gray squirrel, and muskrat-each with labeled front and hind foot tracks next to a drawing of the animal.
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muskrat
muskrat Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus).

muskrat

rodent
Also known as: Ondatra zibethicus, musquash
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Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
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muskrat, (Ondatra zibethicus), a large amphibious rodent indigenous to North America but found also in Europe, Ukraine, Russia, Siberia, adjacent areas of China and Mongolia, and Honshu Island in Japan. The muskrat is a robust vole weighing up to 1.8 kg (4 pounds). It has short legs and a compact body up to 33 cm (13 inches) long. The sparsely haired scaly tail is flattened vertically and can be as long as the body. The...

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