# Presentation: 717940

## How Many Nutria are Too Many Nutria?

**How Many Nutria are ****Too Many Nutria?**

## Slide 2

## More than 80,000 acres of wetlands are impacted by nutria!

**More than 80,000 ****acres of wetlands ****are impacted ****by nutria!**
**Unless nutria ****populations are ****reduced, restoring**** coastal marshes ****will not be ****successful!**
** ****The Coastwide Nutria Control Program, and the  **** promotion of nutria meat as a high-protein, low-fat **** food source, is the main hope for Louisiana's coast. **

## Slide 4

## Initial Stages of DamageMinor Damage

**Initial Stages of Damage****Minor Damage**

## Close up of Severely Damaged Brackish Marsh

**Close up of Severely Damaged Brackish Marsh**

## Close up of an Exclosure

**Close up of an **_**Ex**_**closure**

## Slide 8

## The hind legs are large compared with the forelegs. When moving on land, the nutria's chest drags on the ground and its back appears hunched. Although appearing awkward, the nutria is capable of fast overland travel for considerable distances.

- The hind legs are large compared with the forelegs. When moving on land, the nutria's chest drags on the ground and its back appears hunched. Although appearing awkward, the nutria is capable of fast overland travel for considerable distances.

- The digits are used to groom and to dig roots, and burrows, and are used in feeding. The hindfoot consists of 4webbed, clawed toes and one un-webbed toe.

## The ears are small and the eyes are set high on the head. The nose and mouth are valvular (i.e., can be closed to prevent entry of water), and nutria are capable of swimming long distances under-water. When pursed while under-water, nutria can see and will take evasive action to avoid capture.

**Cool Fact:** Females have four pairs of mammary glands that are located on the side of the body, rather than on the belly. Presumably, this positioning of the mammary glands allow the young to nurse with their nose above the water's surface while the mother is floating.

## Slide 11

## More Facts!

**Males are slightly larger then females. Nutria weigh an average of 12.0 pounds (5.4 kg).**

**More Facts!**

## states without  nutria

## Nutria breed year round and are extremely prolific. Juveniles reach sexual maturity between 3 - 9 months. With a gestation period of 130 days, in one year, an adult nutria can produce two litters and be pregnant for a third. 

**Nutria breed year round and are extremely prolific. Juveniles reach sexual maturity between 3 - 9 months. With a gestation period of 130 days, in one year, an adult nutria can produce two litters and be pregnant for a third. **

**The litter numbers range from 1-13 with an average of 4.5 young. Females can breed within a day of having a litter. **

## Favored foods for nutria include rushes, reeds, cattails, arrowhead, square-stem spike rush and sawgrass. Sugarcane, alfalfa, corn and ice are also eaten if available.

**Favored foods for nutria include rushes, reeds, cattails, arrowhead, square-stem spike rush and sawgrass. Sugarcane, alfalfa, corn and ice are also eaten if available.**

## Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) next to its house in a cattail-dominated marsh. 

**Muskrat (*****Ondatra zibethicus*****) next ****to its house in a cattail-dominated marsh.**

**Nutria have also been attributed with the decline of ****the muskrat populations in Louisiana. They have ****been reported to compete with muskrats and ****water fowl for trophic resources**.

## Chef Philippe Parola has been hired by federal and the Louisiana state governments to conduct a nation-wide promotion for nutria meat to help preserve the wetlands of the southern states.

**Chef Philippe Parola has been hired by federal and the Louisiana state governments to conduct a nation-wide promotion for nutria meat to help preserve the wetlands of the southern states.**
**Today, thousands of pounds of nutria meat in Louisiana move across state lines. **
**For more information, please go to **
- _[www.nutria.com](http://www.nutria.com/)_** **

## FAQs

**WHAT IS NUTRIA MEAT LIKE??** It is a very lean red meat and is very similar to rabbit meat and tastes like dark turkey meat.**IS IT WHOLESOME TO EAT?**Yes.  Nutria are still harvested primarily for the pelt, but must be stored and processed under guidelines for other food grade meat. Only nutria processed at a state inspected facility can be sold for human consumption.
- In addition to Chef Philippe Parola, many premier Louisiana chefs have created nutria dishes.
**AREN'T NUTRIA DIRTY ANIMALS?**NO! Quite the contrary. Nutria occurring in the wild are clean animals. Contrary to their look-alikes, rats, which are omnivores, nutria consume exclusively plant life.

## Proposed Solution

**The Program will consist of ****an economic incentive of ****$4 per nutria tail delivered ****to collection centers ****established in coastal ****Louisiana. **
**The goal is to encourage the harvest of up to 400,000 nutria annually. This program is funded by Coastal Wetlands Planning Protection and Restoration Act**

**Louisiana Coastwide Nutria Control Program (2003-04)**