Nutria

Nutria


 * __General Information__ ** – Myocastor Coypus, a large dark colored, and semi aquatic rodent that is native to the Southern America. The Nutria are members of the family Myocastoridae, they have short legs and a robust. Highly arched body that is approximately 24 inches long. The round tail is from 13 to 16 inches, long scantily haired. Males are slightly larger than females. The dense grayish under fur is overlaid by long glossy guard hairs that vary in color from dark brown to yellowish brown. The forepaws are well-developed and clawed tows. The hind legs are much larger than the forelegs. When moving on land the nutria may drag its chest. (1)

They adapt to their new environment because they eat almost any aquatic or green plant. The marshes swaps and crop fields where they live provide them with an abundant supply of food source. They out compete native species like muskrats. (1)
 * __Detailed Description__ **–In the wild most Nutria lives less than 3 years, captive animals may live 15 to 20 years. Nutria breeds in all seasons throughout most of their range, sexually active individuals. Reproductive peaks occur in late winter, early summer, and mid-autumn, Nutria reach sexual maturity at 4 months of age. Female Nutria is polyestrous, non pregnant female’s cycles into heat every 2 to 4 weeks. Sexually mature can breed at anytime because sperm is produced thought the year. Gestation is from 130 to 132. They can have one to thirteen litters at a time (2) Nutria are consumers, they eat almost entirely herbivous and eat animal material (insects.) They do sometimes eat freshwater mussels and crustaceans. They eat approximately 25 percent on their body weight. They prefer several small meals to one large meal. (1)

The nutria was brought here in 1899 and 1940 for fur ranchers, hoping exploit new markets but their businesses failed in the late 1940’s. There have been sightings of the nutria in 40 of the 50 states. (2)
 * __Habitat__ ** - Nutria are from the southern equator of South America, the nutria in South America habit was a boundary between land and permanent water. The area usually has an abundance of emergent aquatic vegetation, small trees. In the United States all Nutria areas are coastal areas and freshwater marshes. (3)

The expense to get rid of the nutria is $65.7 million dollars (1)
 * __[[image:nutria_6.jpg]]Impacts__ ** – The Nutria has a negative effect on the environment they are notorious for burrowing and feeding, nutria burrows sometimes weaken the flood control they flood fields were they are trying to produce rice and crawfish. They also dig up lawns and golf courses. There are no signs of hybridization. (1) They only attacks humans when they feel threaten nutria will hunch up its back in an attempt to make it look larger. It will keep its head pointed towards you and may even rush forward at you. (3)In Louisiana they pay 5 dollars a tail to people who trap and bring them back dead

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 * __Control Measures -__ **The best time to control nutria during their growing season some ways they are trying to control the nutria is Exclusion fencing them in or walls but these barriers are expensive. They use toxicants made of zinc phosphate they use it to bait the nutria. Another method is trapping when they put traps out and the nutria fall into them all these methods are very costly (1)

Work cited 1) LeBlanc, Dwight J, dir. "Nutria." icwdm . Wildlife Services, 5 Feb. 1987. Web. 15 Dec. 2009. .

2) Myer, John. "Nutria." Peen State college of Agricultural Sciences. Peen State, Feb. 2008. Web. 15 Dec. 2009. .

3) Hicks, Malcolm. "Nutria." Louisiana Department of Wildlife. Louisiana Department of Wildlife, May 2007. Web. 15 Dec. 2009. .