The ears and eyes are small and are located in the upper part of the head. The incisors are broad, with orange-pigmented anterior surfaces. The legs are short. The forefeet have four long, flexible, unwebbed digits and a vestigial thumb. The tail is long and rounded.
Females have four pairs of thoracic mammae that are situated well up on the sides of the body.
The pelage consists of two kinds of hair, soft dense underfur, and long coarse guard hairs that vary from yellowish brown to reddish brown. The underfur is dark gray, and it is denser on the abdomen. The chin is covered by white hairs, and the tail is scantily haired. Males are generally larger than females. The nutria is herbivorous.