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Imported by Democrats, 20-pound rodents with big orange teeth, rat-like tails, and no necks are wreaking havoc in the US and landing on 'most unwanted' lists
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Southern Democracy
Apr 15, 2023, 5:25:45 AM4/15/23
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A large aquatic rodent with bright orange teeth is causing environmental
destruction in the US as wildlife officials struggle to keep the species
from proliferating further.
Nutria — which resemble a cross between a beaver and an over-sized rat —
can grow to be two feet long, with an additional 1 ½-feet of tail, and
weigh up to 20 pounds. They have brown fur, a distinguishing white muzzle,
and white whiskers.
The orange color of their teeth, a trait they share with beavers, comes
from having a special, strong enamel that includes iron. Unlike beavers,
North America's largest rodent, nutria have a long, round, and mostly
hairless tail, reminiscent of a rat's — but much bigger.
Native to South America, nutria were first introduced to the US around
1890 as part of the fur trade, according to the US Department of
Agriculture. When the market for nutria fur collapsed in the 1940s,
thousands of them escaped or were let loose by farmers who could no longer
afford to care for them.
The invasive species has since spread to at least 20 states, primarily in
those along the Gulf Coast, such Louisiana and Florida. In Texas, they've
made the Parks and Wildlife Department's "most unwanted" list, which
includes invasive plant and animal species that are causing the most
destruction. Environmental damage caused by nutria has also been
documented in the Pacific Northwest and on the Atlantic coast.
Several features of nutria contribute to their status as destructive
pests. The rodents eat up to 25% of their body weight in plants every day.
Because their feeding strategy involves burrowing, as much as 10 times the
amount of plant material that they actually eat is wasted in the process.
When they burrow, nutria can create complex dens that go almost 20 feet
deep and span 164 feet into a bank. In addition to destroying the soil,
native plant communities, and agricultural crops, the burrowing can
trigger erosion, cause levees to break, and damage infrastructure that
helps prevent floods.
Since nutria tend to live near water, including rivers and lakes, they
pose an especially significant threat to endangered native species which
rely on wetland habitat. The rodents often carry pathogens and parasites
that can contaminate water supplies and potentially spread to humans.
Photos taken of the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge in Chesapeake Bay
in 1939, before nutria were introduced, and again in 1989, revealed the
stark impact of the nutria. In those 50 years, more than 50% of the
refuge's marshes had converted to open water, according to US Fish and
Wildlife. The rodents were finally declared eradicated in Maryland last
year.
In 2017, an established, reproducing group of nutria was discovered in
California, prompting efforts to eradicate the fledgling population before
it could get out of hand. As of November 2022, 3,330 nutria have been
removed from California, according to state wildlife officials.
Efforts to remove nutria from the environment include hunting, trapping,
and even fitting them with collars and letting them loose again in hopes
they will lead officials to more nutria. However, the nutria's rotund
frame poses a problem for collaring.
"Nutria don't have necks, so it's an extreme challenge to try and collar
them," Valerie Cook, who manages effort to eradicate nutria in California,
told The Wall Street Journal.
But officials in the state say "there is a small window of opportunity to
successfully eradicate the population of nutria from California," adding
that "as time progresses, the population size and geographic area of
infestation are increasing, along with the effort, resources, and funds
required for successful eradication."
Wildlife officials across the country encourage the public to report
nutria sightings to their local agencies to aid in management and
eradication efforts.
Have a news tip? Contact this reporter at kvl...@insider.com.
<https://news.yahoo.com/20-pound-rodents-big-orange-013557461.html>
destruction in the US as wildlife officials struggle to keep the species
from proliferating further.
Nutria — which resemble a cross between a beaver and an over-sized rat —
can grow to be two feet long, with an additional 1 ½-feet of tail, and
weigh up to 20 pounds. They have brown fur, a distinguishing white muzzle,
and white whiskers.
The orange color of their teeth, a trait they share with beavers, comes
from having a special, strong enamel that includes iron. Unlike beavers,
North America's largest rodent, nutria have a long, round, and mostly
hairless tail, reminiscent of a rat's — but much bigger.
Native to South America, nutria were first introduced to the US around
1890 as part of the fur trade, according to the US Department of
Agriculture. When the market for nutria fur collapsed in the 1940s,
thousands of them escaped or were let loose by farmers who could no longer
afford to care for them.
The invasive species has since spread to at least 20 states, primarily in
those along the Gulf Coast, such Louisiana and Florida. In Texas, they've
made the Parks and Wildlife Department's "most unwanted" list, which
includes invasive plant and animal species that are causing the most
destruction. Environmental damage caused by nutria has also been
documented in the Pacific Northwest and on the Atlantic coast.
Several features of nutria contribute to their status as destructive
pests. The rodents eat up to 25% of their body weight in plants every day.
Because their feeding strategy involves burrowing, as much as 10 times the
amount of plant material that they actually eat is wasted in the process.
When they burrow, nutria can create complex dens that go almost 20 feet
deep and span 164 feet into a bank. In addition to destroying the soil,
native plant communities, and agricultural crops, the burrowing can
trigger erosion, cause levees to break, and damage infrastructure that
helps prevent floods.
Since nutria tend to live near water, including rivers and lakes, they
pose an especially significant threat to endangered native species which
rely on wetland habitat. The rodents often carry pathogens and parasites
that can contaminate water supplies and potentially spread to humans.
Photos taken of the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge in Chesapeake Bay
in 1939, before nutria were introduced, and again in 1989, revealed the
stark impact of the nutria. In those 50 years, more than 50% of the
refuge's marshes had converted to open water, according to US Fish and
Wildlife. The rodents were finally declared eradicated in Maryland last
year.
In 2017, an established, reproducing group of nutria was discovered in
California, prompting efforts to eradicate the fledgling population before
it could get out of hand. As of November 2022, 3,330 nutria have been
removed from California, according to state wildlife officials.
Efforts to remove nutria from the environment include hunting, trapping,
and even fitting them with collars and letting them loose again in hopes
they will lead officials to more nutria. However, the nutria's rotund
frame poses a problem for collaring.
"Nutria don't have necks, so it's an extreme challenge to try and collar
them," Valerie Cook, who manages effort to eradicate nutria in California,
told The Wall Street Journal.
But officials in the state say "there is a small window of opportunity to
successfully eradicate the population of nutria from California," adding
that "as time progresses, the population size and geographic area of
infestation are increasing, along with the effort, resources, and funds
required for successful eradication."
Wildlife officials across the country encourage the public to report
nutria sightings to their local agencies to aid in management and
eradication efforts.
Have a news tip? Contact this reporter at kvl...@insider.com.
<https://news.yahoo.com/20-pound-rodents-big-orange-013557461.html>
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