Ondatra zibethicus
| Common Muskrat
(Ondatra zibethicus) | |
|---|---|
| Range | |
 | |
| Taxonomic classification | |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Suborder: | Supramyomorpha |
| Infraorder: | Myomorphi |
| Superfamily: | Muroidea |
| Family: | Cricetidae |
| Subfamily: | Arvicolinae |
| Tribe: | Ondatrini |
| Genus: | Ondatra |
| Binomial details | |
| Ondatra zibethicus (Linnaeus, 1766) | |
| Other resources | |
| Full taxonomic details at MDD | |
The Common Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) is a large semiaquatic rodent.
Description
Museum specimens
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USNM 186518. Ondatra zibethicus cinnamominus. Adult male. Trego County, Kansas. Collected 14 January 1887. -
USNM 186518. Ondatra zibethicus cinnamominus. Adult male. Trego County, Kansas. Collected 14 January 1887.
External measurements
Length measurements are in millimeters (mm) and weight measurements are in grams (g), unless stated otherwise. If available, the sample size (n=) is provided. If a range is not provided and n= is not given, then the listed measurement represents an average.
| Part of range | Reference | Total length | Tail length | Hindfoot length | Ear length | Mass |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Best & Dusi (2014) | 543 (425–594) (n=13) | 243 (198–255) (n=13) | 86 (69–87) (n=13) | 21 (15–26) (n=8) | 1,084 (425–1,556) (n=3) |
| California | Jameson & Peeters (2004) | 456–553 | 200–250 | 65–75 | 20–22 | 0.7–1.8 kg |
| Carolinas, Virginia, Maryland | Webster et al. (1985) | 410–710 | 1 kg | |||
| Colorado | Armstrong et al. (2010) | 450–550 | 200–250 | 65–78 | 19–21 | 650–1,800 |
| Minnesota | Hazard (1982) | 487–576 | 203–277 | 66–83 | 15–25 | 595–1,424 |
| Nebraska | Johnsgard (2020) | 420–620 | 200–290 | 700–1,500 | ||
| North Dakota | Seabloom et al. (2020) | 500 (n=12) | 217 (n=12) | 71 (n=12) | 17 (n=12) | males: 860; females: 780 |
| Texas | Schmidly & Bradley (2016) | 516 | 240 | 74 | males: 923; females: 839 | |
| Virginia | Linzey (1998) | 545–640 | 250–283 | 0.6–1.8 kg |
Skull
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USNM 186518. Ondatra zibethicus cinnamominus. Adult male. Trego County, Kansas. Collected 14 January 1887. Dorsal view of the skull. -
USNM 186518. Ondatra zibethicus cinnamominus. Adult male. Trego County, Kansas. Collected 14 January 1887. Ventral view of the skull. -
USNM 186518. Ondatra zibethicus cinnamominus. Adult male. Trego County, Kansas. Collected 14 January 1887. Lateral view of the skull. -
USNM 186518. Ondatra zibethicus cinnamominus. Adult male. Trego County, Kansas. Collected 14 January 1887. Dorsal view of the mandible. -
USNM 186518. Ondatra zibethicus cinnamominus. Adult male. Trego County, Kansas. Collected 14 January 1887. Lateral view of the left mandible.
Similar species
From Birkenholz (1972) discussing the similar-looking Neofiber alleni: Neofiber alleni "skull similar to that of Ondatra but smaller, condylobasal length 41 to 51 mm, zygomatic width 25 to 31 mm; postorbital process shelflike and nearly right-angled as in Ondatra, temporal ridges are more widely separated, in intertemporal portions of the parietal and interparietal being relatively broad; temporal ridges widely separated on braincase but tending to fuse in interorbital regions of large specimens; pterygoids, choanae, and auditory bullae as in Ondatra; molars resemble those of Ondatra, m1 with five closed triangles between anterior and m3 with one outer fold, M3 with two transverse loops and two median triangles, lower incisors passing between bases of m2 and m3 and ascending behind molars to terminate within or near condylar process; fur, ears, and eyes resemble those of Ondatra but guard hairs produce tuft above tail, stiffened fringe hairs present on margins of hind feet but less developed than in Ondatra; tail long, but terete and sparsely haired (True, 1885; Bailey, 1900; Hinton, 1926; Ellerman, 1941; and Hall and Cockrum, 1953)."
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Common Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) observed by maticus in Davis County, Utah.
References
Armstrong DM, Fitzgerald JP, Meaney CA. 2010. Mammals of Colorado, Second Edition. Denver (CO, USA): University Press of Colorado.
Best TL, Dusi JL. 2014. Mammals of Alabama (Vol. 4). Tuscaloosa (AL, USA): University Alabama Press.
Birkenholz DE. 1972. Neofiber alleni. Mammalian Species (15):1-4. https://doi.org/10.2307/3503816
Hazard EB. 1982. The mammals of Minnesota. Minneapolis (MN, USA): University of Minnesota Press.
Jameson EW, Peeters HJ. 2004. Mammals of California (No. 66). Berkeley (CA, USA): University of California Press.
Johnsgard PA. 2020. Wildlife of Nebraska: a natural history. Lincoln (NE, USA): University of Nebraska Press.
Linzey DW. 1998. The mammals of Virginia. McDonald & Woodward Publishing.
Seabloom R, Hoganson JW, Jensen WF. 2020. The mammals of North Dakota. Fargo (ND, USA): North Dakota State University Press.
Schmidly DJ, Bradley RD. 2016. The mammals of Texas. Austin (TX, USA): University of Texas Press.
Webster WD, Parnell JF, Biggs WC. 1985. Mammals of the Carolinas, Virginia, and Maryland. Chapel Hill (NC, USA): University of North Carolina Press.