MUSKRAT PRODUCTION AND 

 MANAGEMENT 



The miiskrat is the most valuable 

 wild fur animal in the United 

 States. Increasing use of muskrat 

 for fur and meat makes it desirable 

 to assure perpetuation of this ani- 

 mal as a natural resource. Al- 

 though injurious in some localities, 

 it is for the most part an inhabit- 

 ant of places unsuited for agricul- 

 ture. Muskrats multiply much 

 more rapidly than other fur ani- 

 mals, and because of habitat and 

 general habits, they are better fitted 

 than most animals of this class to 

 maintain their numbers under the 

 protection given them. 



The harvest of muskrats in this 

 country is six or seven times that 

 of any other species of fur animal. 

 In the past 5 or 10 years the take of 

 muskrat pelts has averaged 18,000,- 

 000 to 20,000,000 a year, compared 

 with 3,000,000 opossum, 2,500,000 

 skunk, 1,500,000 raccoon, 900,000 

 fox, and 700,000 mink. In some 

 years top northern muskrat pelts 

 have brought $4 to $4.55 on the mar- 

 ket, but they usually average about 

 $2.50. Southern muskrat prices 

 run much lower, from 50 cents to 

 $1.75. 



Investigations on the biology of 

 the muskrat were conducted from 

 1931 to 1934 by Frank R. Smith, as 

 a cooperative undertaking by the 

 Bureau of Biological Survey (sub- 

 sequently merged into the Fish and 



"Wildlife Service), the University 

 of Maryland, and the Maryland 

 State Game and Inland Fish Com- 

 mission, on rtie W. A. Gibbs marsh 

 near Church Creek, Md., and later 

 on the Blackwater National Wild- 

 life Refuge, Cambridge, Md. In 

 the fall of 1937 these studies were 

 resumed by the author on a broader 

 scale, covering research on extensive 

 inland and coastal marsh areas in 

 the eastern seaboard and Gulf 

 States, and continued to 1951. 



The author gratefully acknowl- 

 edges the direction and helpful sug- 

 gestions of Frank G. Ashbrook; the 

 valued assistance of Charles E. 

 Kellogg, William S. Heit, Robert 

 W. Allen, Leonard M. Llewellyn, 

 Merle H. Markley, Carl Rossy, and 

 Solomon R. Willey ; and critical re- 

 view of parts of the manuscript by 

 Richard E. Griffith, Francis M. 

 Uhler, Shaler E. Aldous, and O. 

 Lloyd Meehean. 



DISTRIBUTION AND HABITS 



General Characteristics 



The muskrat is essentially an 

 overgrown meadow mouse with fur, 

 feet, and tail adapted to an aquatic 

 existence. There are no readily 

 apparent external differences be- 

 tween the sexes; adults range from 

 2 to 5 pounds in weight and reach 

 an over-all length of about 241/2 

 inches. The prominent, thick tail. 



