Muskrats aren't picky. In fact, they will even resort to cannibalism in their own family, according to the ADW. Mostly though, they tend to prefer vegetation like cattails, waterlilies, roots and pondweed. They also eat snails, mussels, salamanders, crustaceans, fish and young birds.

Do muskrats eat fish in a pond?

Muskrats aren't normally dangerous to humans, but can cause major damage to the environment as they nest and eat vegetation. ... They may also eat your fish and aquatic plants, particularly if you have more than one muskrat on a smaller body of water like a pond.

Are muskrats beneficial to a pond?

When they see a stream, they want it to be a pond. As a result, they often create habitat for other aquatic wildlife, including fish, amphibians, waterfowl and, of course, muskrats and otters. In the wild, this makes them hugely beneficial as they provide so much habitat.