Arkansas mammals

Muskrat in Arkansas

Ondatra zibethicus

Native to Arkansas S5 Secure in Arkansas

Not listed as nonindigenous in Arkansas by USGS NAS; native to its Arkansas 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 Arkansas, by the numbers

Common in Arkansas 16th most recorded of 78 mammals logged in Arkansas

162 occurrence records
162 with iNaturalist photos
Jul 10, 2026 Last seen in Arkansas

Records from 2000–2026.

162 total records count every Arkansas occurrence from GBIF and iNaturalist; the map plots a georeferenced sample of 158; the monthly chart covers the 158 records with a full observation date.

When to look for the Muskrat in Arkansas

Most sightings fall in March to June.

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

Monthly Arkansas records (table)
MonthRecords
January7
February17
March28
April27
May29
June19
July11
August8
September4
October4
November2
December2

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

Seasonality

Year-round in Arkansas, with recorded sightings peaking in March–June.

Occurrence map

Where Muskrat has been recorded in Arkansas

158 records mapped · zoom and drag to explore

158 Arkansas records mapped

Notable places to look

Park, forest, or monumentiNaturalist records
Mammoth Spring State Park 38
Crowley's Ridge State Park 1
Lake Dardanelle State Park 1
Lake Frierson 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 Arkansas

CountyRecords
Benton County 54
Fulton County 38
Washington County 14
Crittenden County 13
Pulaski County 7
White County 5
Baxter County 5
Faulkner County 3
Greene County 2
Clay County 2
Mississippi County 2
Craighead County 2
9 other counties 15

The complete county distribution, spread across 21 Arkansas counties. Every occurrence record falls in one county, so these sum to the total. Counties from GBIF and US Census boundaries.

Muskrat records follow Arkansas wetlands, including marshes, slow channels, and pond margins in the Delta. White River and Cache River national wildlife refuges protect extensive floodplain habitat; Crowley’s Ridge State Park provides regional context but less typical muskrat habitat.

Reports occur in every month and are strongest from February through June. Water levels and observer access can affect when this semi-aquatic mammal is detected.

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 Arkansas 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"