Alabama mammals

Muskrat in Alabama

Ondatra zibethicus

Native to Alabama S5 Secure in Alabama

Not listed as nonindigenous in Alabama by USGS NAS; native to its Alabama range.

IUCN Red List status

  1. LC
  2. NT
  3. VU
  4. EN
  5. CR
  6. EW
  7. EX

LC – Least Concern

Widespread and abundant; not at risk.

Muskrats resting on a floating log in open waterMuskrat swimming head-on through calm waterLive muskrat sitting on a grassy bank at the water edgeTwo muskrats at a grassy water edgeMuskrat swimming with a long narrow tail trailing behind
Photo: Ken Clark · CC-BYMuskrats resting on a floating log in open waterPhoto: Svetlana Tsarakhova · CC0Muskrat swimming head-on through calm waterPhoto: Robert McLeod · CC0Live muskrat sitting on a grassy bank at the water edgePhoto: Dan Vickers · CC-BYTwo muskrats at a grassy water edgePhoto: Lukas Zangl · CC-BYMuskrat swimming with a long narrow tail trailing behind

Muskrat in Alabama, by the numbers

Occasional in Alabama 32nd most recorded of 78 mammals logged in Alabama

78 occurrence records
78 with iNaturalist photos
Jun 4, 2026 Last seen in Alabama

Records from 2000–2026.

78 total records count every Alabama occurrence from GBIF and iNaturalist; the map plots a georeferenced sample of 74; the monthly chart covers the 74 records with a full observation date.

When to look for the Muskrat in Alabama

Most sightings fall in March.

74 Alabama occurrence records (iNaturalist and GBIF) by month of year, 2000–2026. Shows when the species is recorded, not a guarantee of presence.

Monthly Alabama records (table)
MonthRecords
January0
February7
March16
April6
May15
June8
July8
August6
September4
October2
November1
December1

Monthly muskrat occurrence records (iNaturalist and GBIF) in Alabama, 2000–2026.

Seasonality

Year-round in Alabama, with recorded sightings peaking in March, with a smaller rise in May.

Occurrence map

Where Muskrat has been recorded in Alabama

74 records mapped · zoom and drag to explore

73 Alabama records mapped

Notable places to look

Park, forest, or monumentiNaturalist records
Ebenezer Swamp Ecological Preserve 2
Oak Mountain State Park 1

Protected places with the most muskrat sightings, from the USGS Protected Areas Database plus named mountain ranges, good spots to look, not a full breakdown, so they don't sum to the total.

Where it's recorded in Alabama

CountyRecords
Madison County 24
Shelby County 11
Jefferson County 5
Lauderdale County 5
Marshall County 4
Limestone County 4
Jackson County 3
Lee County 3
Randolph County 2
Blount County 2
Elmore County 2
Lawrence County 1
6 other counties 12

The complete county distribution, spread across 18 Alabama counties. Every occurrence record falls in one county, so these sum to the total. Counties from GBIF and US Census boundaries.

Muskrats carry a NatureServe S5 secure rank in Alabama, and every one of their 78 records here from 2000 onward comes from iNaturalist, led by Madison County with 24 and Shelby with 11. Ebenezer Swamp Ecological Preserve’s 2 logged sightings fit the freshwater wetland habitat this species favors.

Records peak in March, with 16, and nearly match it in May with 15, tracking spring breeding activity when muskrats are more visible building or repairing bank burrows and lodges before summer vegetation thickens and conceals their movements.

Occurrence data from iNaturalist and GBIF.

Muskrat in other states

Muskrat range map (all states)

Muskrats resting on a floating log in open water
Full species profile Muskrat Ondatra zibethicus Size 25–36 cm9.8–14.2 in Weight 0.6–2 kg1.3–4.4 lb Lifespan 3 yr View the full profile

More mammals in Alabama in the atlas

Data & sources

The data and visualizations on this page draw on these open sources:

  • GBIFCC-BY 4.0occurrence records behind the range map, elevation, and record counts
  • iNaturalistCC0 / CC-BY / CC-BY-SAobservations, photos, and audio recordings
  • NatureServe ExplorerCC-BYthe state conservation rank
  • IUCN Red Listattributed factthe global conservation status
  • USGS NASpublic domainnative / introduced status
  • Natural Earthpublic domainthe relief basemap
  • USFSpublic domainnational-forest boundaries
  • USGS Protected Areas Databasepublic domainthe named parks, forests, and refuges behind "notable places to look"