Both are playful, thrive on exploration, and are drawn to Putah Creek and all its wonders. It is mainly aquatic but also moves overland, especially during breeding season when it is establishing a new home. The muskrat's fur is of a rich brown color with a silverish belly. The fur coat is very dense, with coarse guard hairs. Its tail is unique being long, naked, scaly and black with flat sides which makes muskrats expert swimmers and helps to easily distinguish them from other mammals.
Muskrats feed mainly on aquatic vegetation as well as fish, crayfish, and frogs on occasion.
Their broad hind feet are webbed while their front feet are paw-like and equipped with claws that they use for gripping plants, crayfish, and fish. They preferably live in marshes and on the edges of ponds, lakes and streams which is the same habitat populated by beavers. In deeper waters or fast-flowing streams they dig burrows in shorelines and banks. The entrance to their home is usually underwater. They remain active during winter and are most likely to be seen during dawn and dusk.