Worldwide Distribution, Spread of, and Efforts to Eradicate the Nutria
(Myocastor coypus)
South America
- Nutria have a subtropical to temperate range.
- Local extinction due to overharvest led to the development of nutria
fur farms in the late 1800s and early 1900s; however, these farms were not successful
(Ashbrook, 1948).
- There are two common names used in the literature for Myocastor
coypus. The Amerindian word "coypu" is generally used in Europe
and Latin America. This use is probably meant to avoid confusion with, the term
"nutria," which is Spanish for carnivores commonly called "otters"
(Lutra sp.) in English. In North America and Asia, the term "nutria"
is the more commonly used one for Myocastor coypus.
- There are several subspecies of nutria in their native range: Myocastor
coypus coypus, M. coypus bonarieusis, M. coypus melanups, and M. coypus
santacruza
- Most literature indicates the nutria species introduced around the
world was M. coypus bonariensis and was from the more northern (subtropical)
part of their range.
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Africa - East Asia - Europe
- Central Asia and Middle East - North
America - South America
U.S. Department of the Interior |
U.S. Geological Survey