Photos Copyright ©2005 The Assateague Naturalist

Common Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus)   Photographed on May 23, 2005, along the refuge's Marsh Trail just off the Wildlife Loop (map). Muskrats are quite common around the ponds and pools of Assateague. They are good swimmers with somewhat webbed hind feet and use their tail as a rudder - and may remain under water for minutes at a time. They feast on aquatic vegetation, and build lodges (similar to beaver lodges, but smaller) which they keep exceedingly clean. Some prefer dens in banks next to the water.

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