Nutria: The Rodent Invasion Ravaging California's Wetlands

Nutria, a 2-foot-long rodent, is hurting California wetlands by digging deep burrows and damaging levees, dams, and plants.

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In 1899, Nutria were carried from South America to the US. In 2017, they were firstly spotted in central California.

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Every day, nutria can eat plants weighing up to a quarter of their body.Nutria can be found all over the world except for Australia and Antarctica.

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Nutria are hard to control in California because they live on private land and can easily move from one area to another.

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Officials removed around 220 nutria from the Mendota Wildlife Refuge in four weeks last year.

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Nutria don't make dens, but instead, they dig burrows that can weaken levees, foundations, and banks.

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Maryland eradicated over 14,000 nutria from the Chesapeake Bay region between 2000 and 2015 through the Chesapeake Bay Nutria Eradication Project (CBNEP).

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Oregon has an open season on nutria all year, while Louisiana offers a bounty for them, and Texas has declared them the "most unwanted" species.

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California is using Maryland's CBNEP as a model to get rid of nutria in the state.

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