Ace Hardware's Wildlife Spotlight: Nutria (Myocastor coypus)

The nutria, also known as the “coypu,” is a large semiaquatic rodent found widely across North America, Europe, Asia and Africa. Native to South America, it was introduced to other regions primarily for fur ranching, but its destructive habits soon outweighed its value in that vein. In the Latin world, the name nutria refers to otters, so nutria are called coypu in Spanish-speaking countries.

Nutria look like large rats – They have long, round tails and can be identified by their bright orange incisor teeth. Nutria may be up to 20 pounds in weight and are 15-24 inches long; the tail may be 12-18 inches long. The female’s nipples are on her back so that she can feed her young while swimming in the water.

They may be mistaken for muskrats, but the muskrat is generally smaller, more tolerant of cold climates, and has a flattened tail.

Claim to fame: Nutria are locally extinct in their native range due to overharvest by fur ranchers in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Habitat: Wetlands, ponds, ditches and river areas.

Range: Canada, the Northern United States, the Appalachian Mountains.

What they eat: Nutria are herbivores, but have been known to chew up irrigation systems, and human-made materials including house paneling.

Where to see them: In wetlands and waterways.

Source: Wikipedia