As the fish grows larger, the size of its prey naturally varies more. Even if plenty of small fish are available, a musky may not be able to grow large without large fish to eat. Muskrats, ducks, shrews, mice, and frogs also appear in the stomachs of muskies from time to time. Troubles Muskies are voracious predators and tough fighters on the line, but they face several challenges to their survival. Unfortunately, the fingerlings often don't survive for long.
Loss of habitat appears to be the musky's greatest challenge.
The fish do not adapt well to changing conditions and seem to be very sensitive to the loss of spawning habitat. Once muskies are under stress from changing habitat conditions, they struggle to keep pace with the more adaptable northern pike . Under better conditions the two species can exist peacefully, although they do tend to keep their distance from one another. Help keep the musky population strong by practicing catch and release when possible. Contamination Warning Muskies accumulate contaminants in their body tissues as they feed on fish that contain small amounts of these toxins.