Mammals

NAS logo - click to go to the NAS home page One of the few known nonindigenous mammals (Phylum Chordata, Class Mammalia) is the nutria, Myocastor coypus (pic 102k). It is found in and around fresh and salt water ponds and swamps. Nutrias were initially introduced into North America and farmed for their fur. Since their introduction, some animals have escaped these farms and established localized breeding populations from Texas to Virginia and in the Great Lakes area. Presently, they are considered to be a pest species in some areas, disrupting irrigation systems and destroying native aquatic vegetation and crops. Additionally, by disturbing the balance of the native biota they provide an advantage for non-native plant species to become established.
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Data Queries and Species Lists

Mammal Picture Data Queries
Species List of Nonindigenous Mammals
(links to factsheets and collection information)

Links to News and Other Information

Nutria (in Italian)
Damage prevention and control methods for nutria (North Carolina State University) *
Nonindigenous aquatic mammals in Florida
Nonindigenous terrestrial mammals in Florida
The effect of nutria on marsh loss in the lower eastern shore of Maryland
South American nutria destroy marsh habitat *

*These documents are in PDF format. Adobe Acrobat Reader or similar software is required to view them.

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Take Pride in America logoU.S. Department of the Interior | U.S. Geological Survey
URL: https://nas.er.usgs.gov
Page Contact Information: Pam Fuller - NAS Program (pfuller@usgs.gov)
Page Last Modified: Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Disclaimer:

The data represented on this site vary in accuracy, scale, completeness, extent of coverage and origin. It is the user's responsibility to use these data consistent with their intended purpose and within stated limitations. We highly recommend reviewing metadata files prior to interpreting these data.

Citation information: U.S. Geological Survey. [2017]. Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database. Gainesville, Florida. Accessed [1/24/2017].

Additional information for authors