In late years, many of the habitats of Iowa muskrats (Ondatra z. zibethica) have been practically devoid of the animals by spring. Not only has severe winter-killing occurred during recent droughts, but some of these droughts have also concentrated and handicapped population remnants so much that they were annihilated locally by public trapping for fur. Even when environmental conditions were favorable to the muskrats, trapping was often drastic-especially when the market price for pelts reached a dollar or more, flat rate.