Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus)

Muskrats feeds on marsh vegetation food caches which they gather up daily during summer months. They build dens in the banks adjacent to preferred aquatic habitats; in ponds and other areas where the vegetation is dense, conical houses composed of mud and plant material may be constructed. The diet consists primarily of herbaceous material such as roots, bulbs, and leaves (for example, cattails, water lily, sedges, willows). Muskrats have paired musk glands near the base of the tail in both sexes that secrete a "musk oil" used to mark nests, trails, and other objects during the breeding season. Breeding may take place all year; litter sizes range from four to five. They are territorial animals.