Nutria
Myocastor coypus
Nutria are invasive, semi-aquatic rodents with orange front teeth, webbed hind feet, and a long round tail.
Nutria are native to South America and were introduced through the fur trade. They occupy marshes, canals, ponds, and slow waterways where suitable populations persist.
Their heavy feeding and burrowing damage wetland plants and banks. Early reporting is important because small populations are easier to control.
Habitat:
Freshwater Wetlands, Lakes and Ponds, Rivers and Springs, Canals and Ditches
Area / Range:
North Florida, Central Florida
Diet:
They eat aquatic plants, roots, stems, crops, and shoreline vegetation, often wasting more plant material than they consume.
Behavior:
Nutria swim well, travel along banks, build feeding platforms, and dig burrows into levees and shorelines. They reproduce rapidly where conditions are favorable.
Dawn and Dusk, Night
Active Times:
Best time to see:
Near dawn or dusk along vegetated canals, marsh edges, and pond banks.
Florida Native Status:
Nonnative invasive
Conservation Status:
Invasive species. Management focuses on preventing establishment and limiting wetland damage.
Safety Level:
Use Caution
Safety Information:
Do not corner or handle a nutria. Keep pets back. Report suspected sightings through FWC's nonnative species reporting system and use a qualified wildlife professional for removal.
Benefits to Property:
Nutria provide little property benefit in Florida because their feeding pressure falls on native wetland vegetation.
Property Concerns:
Burrows undermine banks, dikes, seawalls, and pond edges. Feeding strips vegetation, increases erosion, and damages restoration plantings.
Fun Fact:
Nutria can close their lips behind their incisors, allowing them to cut vegetation underwater without filling the mouth with water.
Wildlife Laws:
Nutria are nonnative wildlife. Do not relocate or release them. Property owners should follow current FWC rules and local ordinances before trapping or removal.
Identification:
Nutria resemble large brown rats or small beavers. Key features include bright orange incisors, white whiskers, partially webbed hind feet, and a cylindrical tail rather than a beaver's flat tail.
Credits:
Facts: authoritative species reference. Images: primary and secondary, Wikimedia Commons.