5 things you need to know about invasive species and the hungry swamp rats causing chaos across the US
- Nutria, giant South American rodents originally brought to the US for fur farming, have become a devastating invasive species in the Gulf Coast, Pacific Northwest, and Mid-Atlantic, destroying wetlands by eating the roots of marsh plants, causing erosion and flooding.
- These beaver-like creatures can weigh up to 20 pounds, breed three times a year, and produce up to 13 offspring per litter, making them one of the fastest-spreading invasive species in North America.
- Louisiana alone spends millions annually on control efforts, including bounty programs offering $6 per nutria tail, but current removal rates only manage about 300,000 of the estimated 5 million statewide population.
- Florida has recently declared war on another invasive species—the Argentine tegu lizard—which grows up to 4 feet long and threatens native wildlife, including endangered sea turtle eggs and gopher tortoises.
- Climate change is accelerating the spread of invasive species like nutria and tegus, as warmer winters allow them to survive in areas where cold would previously have killed them, pushing these destructive animals into new states.