Vermont mammals

Muskrat in Vermont

Ondatra zibethicus

Native to Vermont S5 Secure in Vermont

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

Common in Vermont 18th most recorded of 65 mammals logged in Vermont

567 occurrence records
536 with iNaturalist photos
May 30, 2026 Last seen in Vermont

Records from 2000–2026.

567 total records count every Vermont occurrence from GBIF and iNaturalist; the map plots a georeferenced sample of 300; the monthly chart covers the 561 records with a full observation date.

When to look for the Muskrat in Vermont

Most sightings fall in April to May.

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

Monthly Vermont records (table)
MonthRecords
January18
February12
March78
April149
May142
June36
July33
August18
September15
October14
November19
December27

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

Seasonality

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

Occurrence map

Where Muskrat has been recorded in Vermont

300 records mapped · zoom and drag to explore

300 Vermont records mapped

Notable places to look

Park, forest, or monumentiNaturalist records
Dead Creek Wildlife Management Area 13
Green Mountain National Forest 10
Mccuen Slang Wildlife Management Area 8
South Hero Marsh Wildlife Management Area 4
Ed Weed Fish Culture Station 3
Groton State Forest 3
Sandbar Wildlife Management Area 3
Richville Wildlife Management Area 2

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 Vermont

CountyRecords
Chittenden County 155
Addison County 88
Franklin County 47
Rutland County 47
Washington County 43
Grand Isle County 40
Windsor County 32
Windham County 28
Orleans County 16
Bennington County 12
Orange County 11
Lamoille County 8
2 other counties 40

The complete county distribution, spread across 14 Vermont counties. Every occurrence record falls in one county, so these sum to the total. Counties from GBIF and US Census boundaries.

Muskrats live in cattail marshes, quiet river backwaters, and vegetated pond edges across Vermont. Dead Creek Wildlife Management Area and Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge provide accessible wetland overlooks; watch for low swimming profiles, bank burrows, and dome-shaped feeding houses.

They remain active year-round, with reports peaking in April and May after ice-out. Early morning and evening are productive, and a patient stationary watch is less disruptive than approaching a lodge or den entrance.

Occurrence data from iNaturalist and GBIF.

Muskrat in other 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 Vermont 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"