Muskrats are large rodents that live in or near water in Canada and North America. In North Carolina and around Raleigh, you will find them near many rivers, creeks, ponds, and lakes, mostly in the Piedmont-area (meaning not the coast or the mountains).

Sometimes these web-footed mammals will be mistaken for beavers, another swimming rodent that is common to North Carolina. The main differences are the size (beavers are much bigger at around 50 pounds vs 3 pounds for a muskrat), their tails (beavers have a wide, flat tail, while muskrats have a long thin tail), and their nests (beavers gnaw down trees to make dams, while muskrats burrow into the banks of bodies of water or build using tall grasses and reeds).

More: Information on Muskrat Removal and Control

This last point is why muskrats can often be seen as a pest. Their habit of burrowing into the side of creeks, rivers, lakes, and ponds can do great damage to road beds, dams, and dikes. The erosion that occurs when they hollow out underneath and around these structures weakens them significantly and can lead to failure.

Muskrats will not attack humans, so they are not dangerous to have around, but this erosion and structural damage to roads and dams is often enough for one to want them removed. They are abundant in Raleigh and the surrounding areas of North Carolina, so muskrats are not protected. This means during “open season” you can trap and eliminate them from your property without being in danger of breaking any laws.

In a muskrat den there are many chambers and numerous exit holes, so they are known for being great at escaping from those trying to remove them. Also, they are active at night mostly and therefore are not seen as often during the day (although they are not completely nocturnal). Because of this, it would be wise to contact an expert if you believe you have a muskrat problem that needs addressing.

Something you may not have considered when looking at this wet rodent swimming on your property, is muskrats were actually once highly valued for their fur. You can still find muskrat fur items but if you trap one, the pelt will no longer gain you quite as much as it once did. More than likely though, you will simply wish the pests to be removed rather than making a coat from their fur.