Muskrats inhabit North Dakota’s prairie-pothole wetlands, marshes, slow streams, and lake margins wherever emergent vegetation provides food and cover. J. Clark Salyer and Long Lake national wildlife refuges contain extensive habitat; scan open channels near dawn or dusk for a low-swimming animal and a narrow V-shaped wake.
The records document a widespread wetland mammal but inevitably favor accessible shorelines. Muskrats remain active all year, even beneath winter ice, while above-water reports peak in April and May and again in August.
Full species profile
