Nutria Rat: All You Need To Know

Nutria rats have established many populations across North America and Europe, making them a successful invasive species. Humans had caught and transported them to these regions in order to construct farms or breeding colonies for use in the fur trade. Invasive species are creatures that are not native to a certain area and cause significant ecological damage.

Nutria rats exhibit all of the hallmarks of an invading species. They are generalists, eating a broad variety of plants and all parts of them, from leaves to roots and shoots. These rodents have a long lifespan and a high rate of reproduction. They also have a low number of predators.

Although nutria rats will be eaten by a variety of animals if they come upon them, their nocturnal lifestyle allows them to evade predators who hunt during the day. Non-native habitats are severely harmed by Nutria rats.

They are known to affect agricultural products like rice and sugarcane in specific states, in addition to damaging riverine and wetland habitats. Because they can do so much harm, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries now permits anybody with a hunting licence to kill up to five of them each day, which only goes to show how big of an issue they are.

Humans are to blame for the proliferation of many exotic species throughout the planet! Humans, for example, brought zebra mussels to the Great Lakes, which have spread like wildfire and reduced the population of native pearly mussels. Japanese knotweed, grass or Asian carp, and lionfish are examples of invasive species in the United States.