The sheer abundance of wildlife in Northern California is something we definitely treasure. From the rare sightings of beautiful animals like Tule Elk to more common sightings of birds and small animals, we never take for granted our access to wildlife here in the Golden State.
However, invasive species are a different story. Often times, non-native animals in California do a lot more harm than good, as is evident with one of the state’s most recent threats—nutria. Nutria are often cited as the most dangerous invasive species in the country due to their intense eating and burrowing habits. They’ve already taken quite the toll on many wetland habitats around the state, and officials are asking nature lovers to keep an eye out for these pesky critters so we can work on saving our landscapes and reducing the nutria population.
Resembling beavers, Nutria are large, web-footed rodents that spend more time in the water than they do on land. At first, these small mammals may seem completely harmless. However, they are currently wreaking havoc on certain California waterways.
The Golden State has had a nutria problem for some time, actually. Originally from South America, the species was brought to the U.S. in the late 19th century during the frenzy of the fur trade. However, they were hunted to eradication in the 1970s. That is until one showed up in a trap in 2017.
As of December 2019, more than 800 nutria have been trapped and killed in California. Sightings of these critters have been confirmed across Merced, Stanislaus, San Joaquin, Fresno, Tuolumne, and Mariposa Counties.
As a result, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has started to team up with other agencies in order to completely eradicate nutria from the state. However, the window of opportunity is small, as the nutria population size and geographic area of infestation are steadily increasing with the more time that passes.
The impact of nutria on California's wetland habitats is potentially devastating. Nutria are known to consume up to 25% of their body weight in plant material every day. These extreme feeding habits can cause incredible damage to native plant communities, soil structure, and agricultural crops.
Additionally, nutria don't build dams like beavers. Instead, they burrow into banks, creating gigantic dens that can span as far as 50 meters into the bank. These burrows are responsible for severe erosion, increased sedimentation, and even roadbed collapses.
Officials are asking Californians to report any potential signs or sightings of nutria to CDFW. Although strongly resembling beaver and muskrat, nutria can most easily be identified by their round and "naked" tails along with their notably white whiskers. You can learn about more nutria identifiers and how to report a sighting at the official CDFW invasive species page here.
Have you spotted any of these pesky animals lately? It’s hard to believe such a small animal can do so much harm to a habitat. Keep your eyes peeled for this invasive species and be sure to report any sightings to Fish and Game right away.
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