My Encounters with Nutria

Today I’m going to share with you about my own encounters with nutria, and tell about how they behave in the wild.

Nutria (also known as coypu) are large rodents native to subtropical and temperate forest of South America. According to the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service, they were first brought to the U.S between 1899 and 1930, through the fur industry. Since then, they have also been introduced to Japan, Europe and Africa, and are usually considered as invasive. One reason why they can be invasive is because they feed year around, feeding on water plants and grasses. If they eat up all the plants in a certain area, other animals won’t have anything to eat. They completely destroy important swamplands.

Even though most people might not like them, they are very interesting and kind of cute creatures. One day, a friend of mine invited me, my mom, and brother to feed the ducks and nutria at a big pond, where they made their home. I fed apples to one of the nutria. He mostly seemed friendly, and would take the apple right out of my hand. Even though he flinched a little to show he was nervous, I was amazed at how trusting he was. In places where they can be hunted or trapped like in Louisiana, they can be aggressive towards people. They can be aggressive anywhere at anytime, so we should always be very careful. These nutrias I visited, were very comfortable with humans, as a lot of people visit and feed them often.

In February of 2022, my family and I were heading to church, when my mom spotted two nutria feeding on the grass on the side of the road. I was in amazement when I saw them because it was an unexpected place right off the freeway! I took a picture of one of the two that you can see up above in the very top picture.

Nutria reach sexual maturity as early as three to four months. After mating, a pregnant female’s gestation lasts 130 days. She can give birth from one to thirteen offspring. Something cool about nutria is that their teeth are orange. They have a kind of enamel that contains iron, which makes it’s teeth stronger and gives that orangey color. The nutria’s teeth also never stop growing. So to shorten their teeth, nutria need to chew on something harder than their teeth, like woody branches. How do they know how to do that? The answer is that Jesus Himself gave them that instinct in order to survive.

So how do Nutria show God’s glory, when they can cause problems in certain parts of the world? Well in places like Louisiana where there are huge populations destroying important swamp habitats, people have decided to make Nutria a delicacy and eat them. Also, since they were originally hunted for their pelts, some people are trying to bring that sport back. So Nutria are (in some places) good to eat, and their furs are legal to wear. So nutria in a few ways can be good for people. Plus, they can be entertaining to watch in their swampy like habitats.

I do know that one day, all creation in heaven will be at peace alongside the Creator Who made them. Most importantly all people who believe in Him, will be at peace, walking with Jesus the Savior. We will enjoy relationship with Him, along with all His creation, forever. There will be perfect peace, and perfect order.

This is maximus adventures, over and out!

“For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:” Colossians 1:16