Nutria are large semi-aquatic rodents from South America. In the United States where they were originally imported for the fur industry, they are an invasive species. Despite their pest status, there are many interesting things about them. So here are some of the best nutria pictures to help show you just how unique they are.
Beautiful Nutria Fur
Nutria fur ranges from dark brown to a light yellow-brown in color. In fact, because the fur of the nutria is so attractive and similar in appearance to that of the beaver, nutria pelts are used to make fur coats.
Because nutria are an invasive species in the United States coats made from these pests are considered to be more socially acceptable than farm-raised furs. In contrast to the light-colored animal in the nutria picture below, in the fur industry, the darker shades of nutria fur are considered the most valuable.
Orange Nutria Teeth
Nutria are known for their large protruding and orange front teeth. The orange color is actually caused by an iron-containing pigment in the enamel of their teeth. And as they get older their teeth get more orange in color.
Adult Nutria
Adult nutria can get quite large. On average they reach from twelve to eighteen inches in length from head to tail and from nine to fifteen pounds in weight. Very big nutria can weigh close to forty pounds.
Baby Nutria
Unlike many other species, when baby nutria are born their eyes are open and they are full-furred. They can actually feed on vegetation right alongside adults within only a few hours after their birth. Young nutria will nurse from their mother for seven or eight weeks.
Nutria Swimming
While nutria can move well on land they are really at home in the water. They are very strong swimmers and can stay submerged for up to five minutes at a time. Nutria actually have webbed back feet which helps make them so agile when swimming.
Nutria Eating
The nutria is a vegetarian that feeds both in the water and on land. It eats aquatic plants, roots, tubers, rhizomes, insects, and snails. However, it will also eat grass and crops close to its habitat. Nutria use their forepaws to help shove their food into their mouths.
White Nutria
While it is rare sometimes albino nutria are born. These animals have a lack of pigmentation which causes them to be all-white with pink eyes. Albino animals generally have a much lower survival rate because they are easier for predators to spot.
Feeding Nutria
As herbivores nutria will eat various fruits and vegetables given to them by humans. However, feeding nutria is not recommended. They can carry parasites and also bacterial infections such as leptospirosis which can be transferred to humans.
Feeding them often causes more animals to move into the area. And an increased number of nutria burrows can lead to erosion along the water’s edge and the degradation of the habitat.
Nutria Removal
Nutria can cause a lot of damage. Their burrows cause erosion and structural problems for dams, dikes, and roadbeds along with docks and other structures. This invasive species is also known to eat crops. Therefore they are often trapped using live cage traps and removed from the environment.
Nutria Water Rat
It’s easy to see from looking at pictures of nutria just how similar they look to rats. They are often confused for extra-large rats, muskrats, and even sometimes described as water rats or giant swamp rats.
Nutria Tail
The nutria tail is round in shape and therefore can help to distinguish it from other similar-looking species. In contrast, a beaver’s tail is flat and similar in shape to a paddle, while a muskrat’s tail is slightly flattened. Unlike both beavers and muskrats, the nutria tail is covered in hair.
Nutria Muzzle
The nutria is known for having a few unique features. One of them is the distinct white patch on its muzzle which can clearly be seen in this and many other nutria pictures. Its orange teeth and webbed back feet are two other distinguishing physical characteristics.
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