New Jersey mammals

Muskrat in New Jersey

Ondatra zibethicus

Native to New Jersey S5 Secure in New Jersey

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

Common in New Jersey 13th most recorded of 94 mammals logged in New Jersey

444 occurrence records
444 with iNaturalist photos
Jul 8, 2026 Last seen in New Jersey

Records from 2000–2026.

444 total records count every New Jersey occurrence from GBIF and iNaturalist; the map plots a georeferenced sample of 300; the monthly chart covers the 427 records with a full observation date.

When to look for the Muskrat in New Jersey

Most sightings fall in April to May.

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

Monthly New Jersey records (table)
MonthRecords
January16
February17
March48
April74
May102
June54
July30
August25
September18
October21
November13
December9

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

Seasonality

Year-round in New Jersey, with recorded sightings peaking in April–May.

Occurrence map

Where Muskrat has been recorded in New Jersey

300 records mapped · zoom and drag to explore

217 New Jersey records mapped

Notable places to look

Park, forest, or monumentiNaturalist records
Cape May Point State Park 61
Paulinskill River Wildlife Management Area 6
Stokes State Forest 6
Black River Wildlife Management Area 3
Appalachian National Scenic Trail 2
Dennis Creek Wildlife Management Area 2
Assunpink Wildlife Management Area 1
Liberty 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 New Jersey

CountyRecords
Atlantic County 43
Sussex County 31
Hudson County 31
Somerset County 28
Morris County 25
Gloucester County 20
Bergen County 19
Mercer County 17
Cape May County 15
Middlesex County 13
Warren County 11
Hunterdon County 7
9 other counties 184

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

Muskrats occupy both fresh and brackish wetlands in New Jersey. Edwin B. Forsythe’s marshes and Great Swamp’s freshwater impoundments offer contrasting places to look for swimming animals, bank burrows, or low plant-built houses; suitable ponds and slow water also occur around Delaware Water Gap. Quiet scanning near dawn or dusk is often most productive.

Records are present all year but peak from April through June. Spring vegetation, open water, and increased activity can make muskrats easier to detect during that period.

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 New Jersey in the atlas

Data & sources

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