The muskrat is found in swamps, marshes, and wetlands from northern North America to the Gulf coast and the Mexican border. Physical Characteristics Muskrats have large, robust bodies, with a total body length of twelve and a half inches. The tail is flat and scaly and is nine and a half inches in length.
Muskrats have dense fur that traps air underneath for insulation and buoyancy.
Their heads are very large and their ears are almost invisible underneath the fur. The whiskers are mediun size. Muskrats consume about one-third of their weight every day. Their digestive system is designed for green vegetation. In the summer they eat the roots of aquatic plants.