AN invasive 25-pound disease-riddled rodent being hunted in California has now spread to the Midwest.
The nutria, a giant 42-inch swamp rat native to South America, has been spotted across southern Illinois since the early 2000s.
Nearly a thousand nutrias, which can carry diseases such as tuberculosis and septicemia, have been hunted down in the Bay Area in 2024 alone, according to California’s Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Bay Delta Region.
The semi-aquatic rat is considered invasive to the United States and can harm levees, crops, and coastlines.
Now, two nutria sightings in Illinois have been confirmed by the state’s Department of Natural Resources.
The reports both came from Pope County in 2022.
However, several credible reports about the rodent have been made since the early 2000s, officials said.
Nutrias, which are larger than muskrats but smaller than beavers, thrive in warmer climates and reproduce at a rapid rate.
Southern Illinois’ warming temperatures could make it a potential hub for nutrias.
The rodent gives birth to as many as 200 offspring per year, according to wildlife officials.
“We are concerned about nutria damaging out wetland ecosystems because of their voracious appetites and habit of feeding on wetland plants and digging to get their roots,” Illinois Department of Natural Resources wildlife diversity program manager Stan McTaggart told the Belleville News-Democrat.
“We are hopeful that the few nutria found were dispersed and not able to establish populations.
“The effects of this invasive species to our native wetland ecosystems are unknown, but we want to stay on top of it.
“In other parts of the country, nutria have had significant negative effects on coastal marshes.”
At least 5,042 nutrias have been killed throughout California, according to the San Francisco Gate.
The rodent has also been found in wetland habitats in northwestern Kentucky and southeastern Missouri along the Mississippi and Ohio rivers, McTaggart told Belleville News-Democrat.
Experts warn that nutria also pose risks to humans because they carry tapeworms and blood and liver flukes, which could contaminate bodies of water.
Wildlife experts in Illinois advise people who have spotted a nutria to submit a report with a high-quality photo to the Department of National Resources online.
What is a Nutria?
The nutria is a rodent that can grow up to 42-inches. The swamp rat is native to South America but has been spotted across the United States.
Nutria’s measurements:
- A nutria can weigh between 15 and 20 pounds.
- The rodent’s body length is typically between 24 inches but can grow as big as 42 inches.
- Its tail length can be between 12 and 18 inches.
- A nutria has white whiskers.
Key differences between nutria and beavers and muskrats:
- A nutria’s tail is described as heavy, round, and rat-like. Unlike a beaver, which is broad and paddle-like, and a muskrat’s tail is laterally flattened.
- A beaver weighs between 26 and 60 pounds, while a muskrat weighs between 1.5 and 4 pounds.
- The body length is between 31 and 41 inches, while a muskrat is between 10 to 14 inches.
- A beaver’s tail can measure between 10 and 20 inches, while a muskrat’s tail can grow 8 to 11 inches.
- The main difference between the three rodents is their whisker color. A beaver and muskrat’s whiskers are black-colored.
