{"id":149178,"date":"2022-07-11T15:41:07","date_gmt":"2022-07-11T15:41:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-there-muskrats-in-oklahoma\/"},"modified":"2022-07-11T15:41:07","modified_gmt":"2022-07-11T15:41:07","slug":"are-there-muskrats-in-oklahoma","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-there-muskrats-in-oklahoma\/","title":{"rendered":"Are there muskrats in Oklahoma?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_17 counter-hierarchy counter-decimal ez-toc-grey\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" style=\"display: none;\"><i class=\"ez-toc-glyphicon ez-toc-icon-toggle\"><\/i><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class=\"ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1\"><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-there-muskrats-in-oklahoma\/#Are_there_muskrats_in_Oklahoma\" title=\"Are there muskrats in Oklahoma?\">Are there muskrats in Oklahoma?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-there-muskrats-in-oklahoma\/#What_harm_do_muskrats\" title=\"What harm do muskrats?\">What harm do muskrats?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-there-muskrats-in-oklahoma\/#How_do_you_know_if_you_have_muskrats\" title=\"How do you know if you have muskrats?\">How do you know if you have muskrats?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-there-muskrats-in-oklahoma\/#Where_are_muskrats_found\" title=\"Where are muskrats found?\">Where are muskrats found?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-there-muskrats-in-oklahoma\/#Do_Nutrias_live_Oklahoma\" title=\"Do Nutrias live Oklahoma?\">Do Nutrias live Oklahoma?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-there-muskrats-in-oklahoma\/#What_states_do_muskrats_live_in\" title=\"What states do muskrats live in?\">What states do muskrats live in?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-there-muskrats-in-oklahoma\/#Where_do_most_muskrats_live\" title=\"Where do most muskrats live?\">Where do most muskrats live?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-there-muskrats-in-oklahoma\/#Are_muskrats_good_to_have_around\" title=\"Are muskrats good to have around?\">Are muskrats good to have around?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-there-muskrats-in-oklahoma\/#What_eats_a_muskrat\" title=\"What eats a muskrat?\">What eats a muskrat?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-there-muskrats-in-oklahoma\/#How_do_you_identify_a_muskrat\" title=\"How do you identify a muskrat?\">How do you identify a muskrat?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-there-muskrats-in-oklahoma\/#What_does_a_muskrat_look_like_and_where_do_they_live\" title=\"What does a muskrat look like and where do they live?\">What does a muskrat look like and where do they live?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-there-muskrats-in-oklahoma\/#What_time_of_day_are_muskrats_most_active\" title=\"What time of day are muskrats most active?\">What time of day are muskrats most active?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-there-muskrats-in-oklahoma\/#Is_it_a_rat_or_a_muskrat\" title=\"Is it a rat or a muskrat?\">Is it a rat or a muskrat?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-there-muskrats-in-oklahoma\/#Where_are_muskrats_found_in_the_US\" title=\"Where are muskrats found in the US?\">Where are muskrats found in the US?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-there-muskrats-in-oklahoma\/#Are_there_muskrats_in_the_UK\" title=\"Are there muskrats in the UK?\">Are there muskrats in the UK?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-there-muskrats-in-oklahoma\/#Where_are_Nutrias_located\" title=\"Where are Nutrias located?\">Where are Nutrias located?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-17\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-there-muskrats-in-oklahoma\/#What_states_do_Nutrias_live\" title=\"What states do Nutrias live?\">What states do Nutrias live?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-18\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-there-muskrats-in-oklahoma\/#Where_does_a_nutria_rat_live\" title=\"Where does a nutria rat live?\">Where does a nutria rat live?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-19\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-there-muskrats-in-oklahoma\/#Where_do_muskrats_live_in_the_USA\" title=\"Where do muskrats live in the USA?\">Where do muskrats live in the USA?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-20\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-there-muskrats-in-oklahoma\/#Is_muskrat_a_rat\" title=\"Is muskrat a rat?\">Is muskrat a rat?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-21\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-there-muskrats-in-oklahoma\/#What_country_is_muskrat_from\" title=\"What country is muskrat from?\">What country is muskrat from?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-22\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-there-muskrats-in-oklahoma\/#How_can_you_tell_if_you_have_a_muskrat\" title=\"How can you tell if you have a muskrat?\">How can you tell if you have a muskrat?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-23\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-there-muskrats-in-oklahoma\/#What_problems_do_muskrats_cause\" title=\"What problems do muskrats cause?\">What problems do muskrats cause?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-24\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-there-muskrats-in-oklahoma\/#Should_you_get_rid_of_muskrats\" title=\"Should you get rid of muskrats?\">Should you get rid of muskrats?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-25\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-there-muskrats-in-oklahoma\/#Do_muskrats_cause_any_damage\" title=\"Do muskrats cause any damage?\">Do muskrats cause any damage?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Are_there_muskrats_in_Oklahoma\"><\/span>Are there muskrats in Oklahoma?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Northeast and north-central Oklahoma produced the highest numbers of muskrat reports and were distinguished from other subregions by high human population den- sity, tallgrass prairie land cover, and abun- dance of major river systems.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_harm_do_muskrats\"><\/span>What harm do muskrats?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Muskrats Can <b>Cause Property and Landscaping Damage<\/b> While muskrats may seem harmless, they are also tunneling animals, which means that they can cause serious damage to the landscaping of your pond and yard. They can also create embankments and barriers that can cause flooding and as a result, can also cause erosion.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_do_you_know_if_you_have_muskrats\"><\/span>How do you know if you have muskrats?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Adults often emit low squeals and snarls when cornered or a chattering sound when fighting. In addition to tracks seen in the mud (Figure 7), muskrat signs include dome-shaped lodges made from vegetation and mud, and burrows. Their burrows are often seen in levees, pond banks, lake shores and along ditches.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Where_are_muskrats_found\"><\/span>Where are muskrats found?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>They mostly inhabit <b>wetlands, areas in or near saline and freshwater wetlands, rivers, lakes, or ponds. They are not found in Florida, where the round-tailed muskrat, or Florida water rat (Neofiber alleni), fills their ecological niche.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Do_Nutrias_live_Oklahoma\"><\/span>Do Nutrias live Oklahoma?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The muskrat belongs to the Family Cricetidae in the Order Rodentia. It is found primarily in <b>marshes, wetlands and other aquatic habitats throughout North America. A similar species, the round-tailed muskrat (Neofiber alleni), is found only in the southeastern United States.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_states_do_muskrats_live_in\"><\/span>What states do muskrats live in?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Nutria, whether youve heard of it as a coypu, marsh rat, river rat, nutra-rat, or beaver rat, is <b>one of several animals listed as an invasive species in Oklahoma.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Where_do_most_muskrats_live\"><\/span>Where do most muskrats live?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Muskrats are native to North America and live from <b>Southern California to northern portions of Alaska and Canada and throughout the central states. The rodents are absent from some parts of the United States, however, such as Florida.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Are_muskrats_good_to_have_around\"><\/span>Are muskrats good to have around?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Though thought of as pests because they sometimes eat crops and block waterways with their lodges, <b>muskrats are very helpful. By eating aquatic plants, they open other areas of the waterways, giving ducks and other birds clear places to swim. Their lodges are also used by other animals as resting areas and nests.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_eats_a_muskrat\"><\/span>What eats a muskrat?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The muskrats main predators are <b>mink and otters. Some raptors (bird predators) such as eagles and ospreys will attack swimming muskrats. When on land, muskrats are vulnerable to predation by foxes, coyotes and raccoons.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_do_you_identify_a_muskrat\"><\/span>How do you identify a muskrat?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Beaver tails are wide, flat and paddle-shaped, while muskrats have <b>long, skinny tails with flat sides. You can usually see a muskrats whole body when it is swimming. With beavers, you often see only their large wedge-shaped heads.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_does_a_muskrat_look_like_and_where_do_they_live\"><\/span>What does a muskrat look like and where do they live?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Muskrats are <b>semi-aquatic and live near waterways, building their dens along the banks. These rodents are approximately two feet long, with tails that range in length from 8 to 12 inches, and weigh two to four pounds. Their fur is typically dark brown, though it can vary from black to almost white.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_time_of_day_are_muskrats_most_active\"><\/span>What time of day are muskrats most active?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Muskrats are considered nocturnal, though they are sometimes active during the day. Their most active times are <b>late afternoon and right after dusk<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Is_it_a_rat_or_a_muskrat\"><\/span>Is it a rat or a muskrat?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Muskrats are referred to as rats in a general sense because they are medium-sized rodents with an adaptable lifestyle and an omnivorous diet. They are not, however, members of the genus Rattus. They are not closely related to beavers, with which they share habitat and general appearance.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Where_are_muskrats_found_in_the_US\"><\/span>Where are muskrats found in the US?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>marshes<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Are_there_muskrats_in_the_UK\"><\/span>Are there muskrats in the UK?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Muskrats are native to North America and live from <b>Southern California to northern portions of Alaska and Canada and throughout the central states. The rodents are absent from some parts of the United States, however, such as Florida.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Where_are_Nutrias_located\"><\/span>Where are Nutrias located?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>In many regions they cause severe damage. Nutria are <b>most abundant in the Gulf Coast States, but they also cause problems in other southeastern States, the Pacific Northwest, and along the Atlantic coast. In addition to damaging vegetation and crops, nutria destroy the banks of ditches, lakes, and other water bodies.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_states_do_Nutrias_live\"><\/span>What states do Nutrias live?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>In 2017, a reproducing population of nutria was discovered in Californias San Joaquin Valley; as of May 2019, nutria have been confirmed in <b>San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Merced, Fresno, Mariposa, and Tuolumne counties.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Where_does_a_nutria_rat_live\"><\/span>Where does a nutria rat live?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Nutria are native to <b>the marshes and coastal lakes in Bolivia and Southern Brazil, according to Columbia University (opens in new tab). Their populations in those locations are kept in check by the seasonal drought-flood cycles.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Where_do_muskrats_live_in_the_USA\"><\/span>Where do muskrats live in the USA?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The muskrat belongs to the Family Cricetidae in the Order Rodentia. It is found primarily in <b>marshes, wetlands and other aquatic habitats throughout North America. A similar species, the round-tailed muskrat (Neofiber alleni), is found only in the southeastern United States.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Is_muskrat_a_rat\"><\/span>Is muskrat a rat?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>marshes<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_country_is_muskrat_from\"><\/span>What country is muskrat from?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Muskrats are referred to as rats in a general sense because they are medium-sized rodents with an adaptable lifestyle and an omnivorous diet. They are not, however, members of the genus Rattus. They are not closely related to beavers, with which they share habitat and general appearance.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_can_you_tell_if_you_have_a_muskrat\"><\/span>How can you tell if you have a muskrat?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The muskrat belongs to the Family Cricetidae in the Order Rodentia. It is found primarily in <b>marshes, wetlands and other aquatic habitats throughout North America. A similar species, the round-tailed muskrat (Neofiber alleni), is found only in the southeastern United States.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_problems_do_muskrats_cause\"><\/span>What problems do muskrats cause?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Muskrat burrowing can cause <b>structural damage to dams, dikes, railroad\/road beds and levees. Erosion due to muskrat burrows and dens may cause cave-ins and the collapse of some structures. The economic impact can be substantial to aquaculture facilities, if levees or water sources are impacted.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Should_you_get_rid_of_muskrats\"><\/span>Should you get rid of muskrats?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>As mentioned earlier, muskrats usually will make a home on your property due to them finding a food source. So your first line of business is to <b>remove their access to the food source. This could mean protecting your crops by wiring them off.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Do_muskrats_cause_any_damage\"><\/span>Do muskrats cause any damage?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Muskrats Can Cause Property and Landscaping Damage<\/b> While muskrats may seem harmless, they are also tunneling animals, which means that they can cause serious damage to the landscaping of your pond and yard. They can also create embankments and barriers that can cause flooding and as a result, can also cause erosion.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Table of Contents Are there muskrats in Oklahoma?What harm do muskrats?How do you know if you have muskrats?Where are muskrats found?Do Nutrias live Oklahoma?What states do muskrats live in?Where do most muskrats live?Are muskrats good to have around?What eats a muskrat?How do you identify a muskrat?What does a muskrat look like and where do they&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"spay_email":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[622],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-149178","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-pet-care"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/149178"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=149178"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/149178\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=149178"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=149178"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=149178"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}