Perhaps the easiest marsh mammal to name and recognize is the beaver. The rich glossy brown fur, sought after by early fur traders, and paddle-like tail make this a familiar animal to most. Beavers are also known for their voracious appetite for trees, however the entire tree is never eaten since most nutrients are contained in the young bark and leaves. The beaver's diet also includes shrubs and other weedy vegetation. Not quite as well-known is the importance of their ecological role: the creation of wetlands provide homes for many other organisms, dams provide erosion control and improve water quality of large rivers by reducing the amount of silt introduced.

Muskrats also play an important role in maintaining wetlands. Although much smaller than the beaver many physical characteristics remain the same: fur, range of habitat, feet and long flattened tail. Muskrats will eat frogs, crayfish and small turtles but are primarily herbivores (plant eaters), eating aquatic vegetation. The muskrat is responsible, in part, for creating and maintaining large open water areas necessary for attracting waterfowl through the consumption of cattails.

One predator found in the wetlands is the mink which has earned the nickname "the wetland weasel" from its choice of habitat. Its thick oily brown fur provides good insulation to the cold northern waters and partially webbed feet make it a good swimmer. Mink use a patrolling circuit pattern to hunt the small mammals and fish, birds and insects which make up its diet.

The meadowlands are home to jackrabbits and red foxes. The browny-grey rabbit has distinctive ears which are rimmed white with black tips. The extremely large ears serve a dual purpose in both predator detection and as heat radiators, allowing the animal to remain cool in hot weather. This rabbit known for its quickness can attain speeds of up to 75 kilometers per hour using 5 meter bounds.

The distinctive rusty-red fur characterizes the red fox whose habitat stretches from the arctic tundra to the deep south of America. It has the greatest geographic range of any carnivore. Although primarily a carnivore, foxes are known to eat fruits and berries when in season. Foxes are mostly solitary creatures except during the reproductive season when they form monogamous pairs.

The habitat preserve is also home to the only flying mammal - the bat. Both the big and little brown bat can be found here. While bats and birds appear similar due to their ability to fly, the similarity ends there. The bat's body is covered with fur and has leathery membranes for wings. The fur lacks the lift-giving abilities of feathers while the membrane maximizes lift at lower velocities. Consequently bats have sacrificed long distance flight for maneuverability. The most distinctive difference between the animals is the bat's ability to effectively hunt at night using echolocation (nature's radar). The little brown bat has long coppery hairs on its back and is grey underneath; it feeds on soft-bodied insects. The big brown bat, in addition to being larger, has dark brown back fur and a naked face; it adds hard-bodied insects (such as beetles) to its diet.