Nutria

Rodents and Related Critters Meadow Vole Chipmunk Oppossum Prairie Dog Raccoon California Ground Squirrel Fox Squirrel Golden Mantled Squirrel Gray Squirrel Harris' Antelope Squirrel Rock Squirrel

Nutria (Myocastor coypus) are medium sized rodents that live in freshwater environments like marshes and ponds.

Originally introduced into the United States from their native South America for their fur, today their range extends throughout Gulf Coast areas, with small populations established in the Mid-Atlantic and Pacific Northwest.

Their healthy appetites and burrowing activity create problems in areas with large nutria populations. Representatives of Mid-Atlantic states, for example, express concern about the health of local wetlands due to Nutria overencroachment.

In smaller populations, nutria create less extensive ecosytem problems, and they are generally considered otherwise harmless to humans.

Nutria share some physical characeristics with beavers and muskrats. Their long thin tail is a field identification mark. The top picture also shows their characteristic brownish fur and long white whiskers.

© 2004-2008 Patricia A. Michaels