Builds conical houses, 2-3' above water, out of marsh vegetation, mud, cattails, and other nearby materials. The houses are built in shallow water and have underwater entrances and tunnels.
Muskrats also make burrows and dens in pond and lake banks.
They mate in spring and summer in the north and in the winter in the south. Predators of the muskrat include man, minks, large snakes, great horned owls, river otters, and large-mouth bass. Muskrat fur is harvested by humans. Muskrats build throughout the year. Besides working on their unique homes, they build 'feeder huts' and 'breather huts' in the winter.