The marsh rice rat is a semi-aquatic North American rodent. It is relatively rare in Canada, primarily inhabiting the Eastern and South-Eastern United States.

Marsh rice rats have specially adapted fur that traps air, keeping them warm and buoyant as they swim.

Marsh rice rats are excellent swimmers, and can cross distances of over 300 meters between islands.

Marsh rice rats eat a varied diet of plants and animals, and tend to be more carnivorous than other rodents. Their diet includes, fish, clams, birds’ eggs, and the carcasses of other animals such as muskrats.

In the past, they have been known to be serious pests on rice plantations, feeding on newly-planted rice.

Since they are semi-aquatic, they like to spend a lot of time in the water. They can mostly be found in lowland swampy or marshy areas, but they will also forage into drier, elevated environments. 

They build burrows in areas with enough cover to shelter them from predators such as barn owls.

Marsh rice rats are generally not a threat to humans, as they have little interaction with us. Like most rats however, they can carry serious diseases such as hantavirus.

Marsh rice rats can be pests in agricultural areas, but are generally harmless in the wild.

If you need to get rid of marsh rice rats on your property, give us a call. We’ll take the proper steps to remove them safely and effectively.