Diet of the Nutria Rat Nutria rats will eat virtually any vegetation close to aquatic regions. They eat a variety of plant matter, from roots to entire shrubs. They will occasionally feed on snails and shellfish if they come across them.

Nutria are mostly voracious vegetarians who can consume large amounts of riparian and wetland plants. They also feed on small invertebrates such as insects and snails. The gnarly nutria is capable of fast movement overland, but is more at home in the water.

rodent

Nutria can definitely exhibit aggressive behaviors. When they feel trapped by people, this aspect of their behavior sometimes comes out. They can act fiercely, which often brings upon physical harm not only in human beings, but also in pets.

by Paghat the Ratgirl. Many people have claimed the nutria or coypu makes a pretty good pet in terms of its docility & affection for people, though they don’t appear to be commonly kept as pets. For most people, lacking a farm & a pool, the nutria is not apt to be a very easy animal to care for properly.

What is a Nutria, what does its Meat Taste like, and how did it get its Name? Surprisingly, the nutria has less fat and cholesterol than chicken or turkey and is loaded with protein. By all reports, it tastes like rabbit and is very tender.

Nutria carry a wide variety of diseases and pathogens like rabies, equine encephalomyelitis, paratyphoid, salmonellosis, pappilomatosis, leptospirosis, toxoplasmosis, richettsia, coccidiosis, and sarcoporidiosis (Sheffels and Sytsma 2007).

In addition to damaging vegetation and crops, nutria destroy the banks of ditches, lakes, and other water bodies. Of greatest significance, however, is the permanent damage nutria can cause to marshes and other wetlands. In these areas, nutria feed on native plants that hold wetland soil together.

Nutria can be infected with several pathogens and parasites that can be transmitted to humans, livestock, and pets. The role of nutria, however, in the spread of diseases such as equine encephalomyelitis, leptospirosis, hemorrhagic septicemia (Pasteurellosis), paratyphoid, and salmonellosis is not well documented.

The only way to control the nutria population is to trap and eradicate them. Some states are even paying hunters to cull them. Professional Wildlife Removal says a leg hold trap or live double-door trap can be used to catch nutria with carrots as bait.

Actions Taken if Found Suspected observations or potential signs of nutria in California should be photographed and immediately reported to CDFW ONLINE, by email to [email protected], or by calling (866) 440-9530. Observations on state or federal lands should be immediately reported to local agency staff.

Live traps placed on floating rafts will effectively catch nutria but prebaiting is necessary. A large raft can hold up to 8 traps. Unwanted nutria should be destroyed with a shot or blow to the head. Non- target animals should be released.

Even without a bounty program, nutria can be taken legally by licensed hunters and trappers as a rodent and nongame mammal. Again, hunters need to be careful not to mistake other wildlife for nutria. These other species may be protected or may have hunting seasons and bag limits governing their take.

approximately 6.5 years

Nutria will eat most herbal vegetation that’s near water, including lawns, rushes, and the tender new shoots of some shrubs. They will also chew off a woody shrub branch to reach the tender shoots. They won’t chew down a tree, like a beaver will, so if you see such evidence, you’ve got beavers, not nutria, in the area.

Nutria were brought to Louisiana in the 1930s for fur farming and somehow escaped to the coastal wetlands of southern Louisiana, where they rapidly grew in population. Wetlands and swamps help to protect against hurricanes.

Nutria were originally valued for their pelts, and nutria fur may be making a comeback. In most of the world, killing nutria does a service to the environment, making the rodents one of the most ethical sources of fur around.

Nutria may be a blast to hunt, but they are a problematic invasive species—some say a plague—in southern Louisiana, with something of a mysterious history, says Jennifer Hogue-Manuel, Louisiana furbearer biologist and manager of the Coastwide Nutria Control Program (CNCP).

The most zealous hunter handed in just shy of 11,000 nutria tails — worth $55,000. After each hunting season, wildlife officials fly over 200 transects, or lines of flight, across coastal marshes from Texas to Mississippi, estimating the damage from the rodents.