This is a test site. The production site with full data is available at GBIF.org
{{nav.loginGreeting}}
  • Get data
      • Occurrences
      • GBIF API
      • Species
      • Datasets
      • Occurrence snapshots
      • Hosted portals
      • Trends
  • How-to
    • Share data

      • Quick-start guide
      • Dataset classes
      • Data hosting
      • Standards
      • Become a publisher
      • Data quality
      • Data papers
    • Use data

      • Featured data use
      • Citation guidelines
      • GBIF citations
      • Citation widget
      • Guides and documentation
  • Tools
    • Publishing

      • IPT
      • Data validator
      • GeoPick
      • New data model
      • GRSciColl
      • Suggest a dataset
      • Metabarcoding data toolkit
    • Data access and use

      • Hosted portals
      • Scientific collections
      • Data processing
      • Derived datasets
      • rgbif
      • pygbif
      • SQL downloads
      • Tools catalogue
    • GBIF labs

      • Species matching
      • Name parser
      • Sequence ID
      • Relative observation trends
      • GBIF data blog
  • Community
    • Network

      • Participant network
      • Nodes
      • Publishers
      • Network contacts
      • Community forum
      • alliance for biodiversity knowledge
    • Volunteers

      • Mentors
      • Ambassadors
      • Translators
      • Citizen scientists
    • Activities

      • Capacity development
      • Programmes & projects
      • Training and learning resources
      • Data Use Club
      • Living Atlases
  • About
    • Inside GBIF

      • What is GBIF?
      • Become a member
      • Governance
      • Strategic framework
      • Work Programme
      • Funders
      • Partnerships
      • Release notes
      • Contacts
    • News & outreach

      • News
      • Subscribe
      • Events
      • Awards
      • Science Review
      • Data use
      • Thematic communities
  • User profile

Muskrat trapping data in the Netherlands 1987 – 2014

Citation

Moerkens D, Blanker P, Creuwels J (2025). Muskrat trapping data in the Netherlands 1987 – 2014. Version 1.4. Het Waterschapshuis. Occurrence dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/ytr96y accessed via GBIF.org on 2025-11-19.

Description

Trapped muskrats in the Netherlands have been manually registered at municipal and provincial level since 1941, from 1987 they have been registered on atlas blocks (5 x 5 km) and from 2014 this is done with a smartphone at the trap location. The years of registration have yielded a valuable dataset that has been used in multiple studies.

The trapping data is in multiple GBIF datasets with different accuracies: -> MICA - Muskrat and coypu occurrences collected by UVW in the Netherlands (from 2014), data per trapped animal with exact location and date (https://doi.org/10.15468/qjds4c) -> Muskrat trapping data in the Netherlands 1987 – 2014, data on atlasblock level per period of four weeks (this dataset) -> Muskrat trapping data in the Netherlands 1964 – 1986, data on province level per year (to be delivered) -> Muskrat trapping data in the Netherlands 1941 – 1963, data at municipality level per year (to be delivered) -> Coypu trapping data in the Netherlands 1988 – 2013, data at organization level per year (to be delivered)

Sampling Description

Study Extent

The Netherlands

Sampling

Only trapped (dead) muskrats were registered

Quality Control

Trapping is carried out by professional trappers

Method steps

  1. Data are collected in the field by specialized trappers, using the predefined sampling protocol.
  2. Data from 1987-2014 are registered in atlas blocks (5 x 5 km). All data are aggregated in 13 four-weeks' time periods each year and entered in an Excel spreadsheet.
  3. An R script script is created to transform the original data structure into a single occurrence format with one value per time period per atlas block each year. Only values for atlas blocks with a number for trapped muskrats remained (299K records i.e. 64% of all records).
  4. In R geographic coordinates and accuracy are added, based on atlas block indexes, and the time periods are to rewritten into an eventDate format with a begin and an end date.
  5. The output is an DarwinCore occurrence file, which is uploaded via the NLBIF IPT and documented with metadata.

Taxonomic Coverages

The target species for this dataset is Ondatra zibethicus.
  1. Animalia
    rank: kingdom
  2. Vertebratae
    rank: phylum
  3. Mammalia
    rank: class
  4. Rodentia
    rank: order
  5. Cricetidae
    rank: family
  6. Ondatra
    rank: genus
  7. zibethicus
    rank: species

Geographic Coverages

The Netherlands.

Bibliographic Citations

  1. Beheer van de Muskusrat in Nederland. Synthese van een grootschalige veldproef en parallelle studies - https://www.researchgate.net/publication/325441957_Beheer_van_de_Muskusrat_in_Nederland_Synthese_van_een_grootschalige_veldproef_en_parallelle_studies_AW-rapport_2458_Feanwalden_Altenburg_Wymenga_ecologisch_onderzoek
  2. Technische rapportage "objectbescherming en analyse van ontwikkelingen in de proefuurhokken" - https://www.researchgate.net/publication/326463303_Technische_rapportage_objectbescherming_en_analyse_van_ontwikkelingen_in_de_proefuurhokken
  3. Toekomst van het muskusrattenbeheer in Nederland. De mogelijkheden onderzocht - https://www.researchgate.net/publication/329375313_Toekomst_van_het_muskusrattenbeheer_in_Nederland_De_mogelijkheden_onderzocht
  4. Cost-Benefit analysis of invasive muskrat control in The Netherlands: Complete removal as financially rational strategy - https://www.researchgate.net/publication/341741951_Cost-Benefit_analysis_of_invasive_muskrat_control_in_The_Netherlands_Complete_removal_as_financially_rational_strategy
  5. A Large‐Scale Experiment to Evaluate Control of Invasive Muskrats - https://www.researchgate.net/publication/342070750_A_Large-Scale_Experiment_to_Evaluate_Control_of_Invasive_Muskrats
  6. Damage to dykes and levees in the ­ Netherlands is extensive and increases with muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) density - https://www.researchgate.net/publication/335110265_Damage_to_dykes_and_levees_in_the_-_Netherlands_is_extensive_and_increases_with_muskrat_Ondatra_zibethicus_density
  7. Evidence for the effectiveness of controlling muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus L.) populations by trapping - https://www.researchgate.net/publication/333028432_Evidence_for_the_effectiveness_of_controlling_muskrat_Ondatra_zibethicus_L_populations_by_trapping
  8. Intensieve bestrijding van muskusrat en nutria in Nederland. Ervaring gebaseerd op jarenlange controle en onderzoek - https://www.researchgate.net/publication/330313252_Intensive_Bekampfung_von_Bisam_und_Nutria_in_den_Niederlanden_Erfahrungen_auf_Grundlage_langjahriger_Bekampfung_und_Forschung
  9. A historical perspective on the effects of trapping and controlling the muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) in The Netherlands - https://www.researchgate.net/publication/297585112_A_historical_perspective_on_the_effects_of_trapping_and_controlling_the_muskrat_Ondatra_zibethicus_in_The_Netherlands

Contacts

Dolf Moerkens
originator
position: Policy advisor
Unie van Waterschappen
Koningskade 40
Den Haag
NL-2596 AA
Zuid-Holland
NL
Telephone: +31.6.53334668
email: dmoerkens@uvw.nl
homepage: https://www.uvw.nl
Peter Blanker
originator
position: Policy advisor
Waterschap Scheldestromen
Kanaalweg 1
Middelburg
NL-4337PA
Zeeland
NL
Telephone: +31.6.5310445
email: peter.blanker@scheldestromen.nl
homepage: https://www.uvw.nl
Jeroen Creuwels
originator
position: Data manager
NLBIF
PO Box 9517
Leiden
NL-2300 RA
NL
Telephone: +31.71.7519362
email: nlbif@naturalis.nl
homepage: https://www.nlbif.nl
userId: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6131-7026
Dolf Moerkens
metadata author
position: Policy advisor
Unie van Waterschappen
Koningskade 40
Den Haag
NL-2596 AA
Zuid-Holland
NL
Telephone: +31.6.5333 4668
email: dmoerkens@uvw.nl
homepage: https://www.uvw.nl
Niels Raes
processor
position: Node manager
NLBIF
PO Box 9517
Leiden
NL-2300 RA
NL
Telephone: +31.71.7519362
email: nlbif@naturalis.nl
homepage: https://www.nlbif.nl
userId: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4329-4892
Dolf Moerkens
administrative point of contact
position: Policy advisor
Unie van Waterschappen
Koningskade 40
Den Haag
NL-2596 AA
Zuid-Holland
NL
Telephone: +316 5333 4668
email: dmoerkens@uvw.nl
homepage: https://www.uvw.nl
What is GBIF? API FAQ Newsletter Privacy Terms and agreements Citation Code of Conduct Acknowledgements
Contact GBIF Secretariat Universitetsparken 15 DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø Denmark
GBIF is a Global Core Biodata Resource