1. Nutria Myocastor coypus Molina

2. Taxonomy Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Rodentia Suborder: Hystricomorpha Family: Myocastoridae Genus: Myocastor Species: M. coypus

3. Background Native to South America (Argentina) Introduced to N.A. in 1930’s Food and Fur Nutria-Spanish for Otter Water Sweeper Coypu Marsh Beaver Mouse Beaver Ragondid (Europe)

4. Adults 11-22 pounds White Mask, Brown Patches, Round tail Teats are found on sides ` Males sexually mature 4-9 months Females 3-9 months Two-almost 3 litters per year(130 days)(1-13) Eat 25 percent of weight daily Biology

5. North American Range Map

6. Effects Eat whole plants One area As an example of their proliferation: in 1938, twenty individual nutria were introduced into Louisiana and within twenty years, the nutria population exceed 20 million animals. By 1962, the nutria had replaced the native muskrat as the leading furbearer in Louisiana.

7. Blackwater Wildlife Refuge Maryland – Lost 8000 square acres of marsh – 12.5 sq. miles of marsh – 8,300 nutria – 2,000,000 dollars

8. Control Measures 1. Anti Coagulant Poisoning Works Directly kills non target species Indirectly Kills others Poisoned animals bleed to death 2. Trapping 3. Shooting

9. Barbecued Nutria (compliments of Jo Reynolds) Ingredients 1 large nutria, cleaned 1 bottle Kraft BBQ sauce 1 large onion, chopped 1 lemon, sliced Salt and Pepper Salt and pepper nutria. Stuff nutria body cavity with onion and lemon. Turn leg under and put in a large oven bag. Pour barbecue sauce plus one barbecue sauce bottle of water over nutria. Bake for one to one and a half hours in a 350 degree oven, or until done. Take out and eat. Yummy! Control Measures

10. Sources United States Geologic Survey. Worldwide Distribution, Spread Of, and Efforts to Eradicate the Nutria. 18 Aug. 2008. 18 Sep. 2008. Stone, Ward. Poisoning of Wildlife with Anti-Coagulants. 19 May 1998. 18 Sep. 2008. Davis, William B., and David B. Schmidly. Nutria.. 18 Sep. 2008. Lawler, Adrian. Nutria-Trouble for Waterways. 2006. 18 Sep. 2008.