Northern Nutria?

 

Nutria may look a bit like beavers with long, thin tails, but they are quite different. This rodent that can weigh 12-20 pounds is one of the world's worst invasive species. Native to Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina, they began showing up in the American south decades ago. They were once thought to be non-existent in the north, especially in New Jersey, and that was fine with state biologists.

Unfortunately, there have been reports of them in NJ. They were trapped in the salt marshes of the Delaware Bay back in the early 1980s. An NJ Fish and Wildlife biologist reported seeing a nutria swimming in Salem County's Lower Alloways Creek Township in late 2007.

Nutria are primarily nocturnal foragers and they damage vegetation and crops that are used by wildlife and humans. They also destroy the banks of ditches, lakes, and other water bodies. They do their greatest damage to the marshes and wetlands they inhabit eating the plants that hold wetland soil together. That vegetation loss causes native animals and fish to lose their habitats.

Nutria can also be aggressive to pets and humans if they feel trapped.

Recently, a reader of this blog sent me a photo and asked if it was possible that it was a nutria. He lives in Lafayette (Sussex County) and spotted what he at first thought was a beaver, but it had the wrong kind of tail. I have not heard of any nutria sightings in northern New Jersey, so that is not a good report if accurate.

Their coloration can vary from light to dark (as shown in this post) and I have seen nutria online that look black and sometimes even with white patches. They do resemble beaver, fishers and muskrats , especially when seen in the water.

What is it?

NJ wildlife officials are asking people who spot nutrias to report them so they can determine whether they're colonizing in our state. You can report spotting a nutria (or fisher or bobcat) using the form at http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/pdf/bobcat-fisher-nutria_sighting.pdf

Nutria (Myocastor coypus) was first introduced to the United States in 1899 in California where for about 40 years there were attempts to breed them for their fur. The fur market crashed after WWII and many were simply released. Though they thrive in temperate areas, the milder NJ winters have allowed them to stay and breed. 

Image: Manfred Antranias Zimmer from Pixabay