Rodents of unusual size are no longer just something from the movies; these swamp rats, known as nutria, pose risks to crops, livestock, and water supplies.
The nutria can consume up to 25% of their body weight in plant materials every day, leading to significant destruction of native plants and agricultural crops.
California was free of nutria for decades, but after reappearing in Merced County in 2017, their population has surged and now threatens wetland habitats.
With nutria in the Delta, the risk of them dispersing into other regions increases, which could exacerbate the destruction they cause.
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