Coypu — also called nutria or river rat, (Myocastor coypus) large semi-aquatic rodent of Central and South America. An invasive species in Europe, North America, Asia and numerous islands.
With An Insatiable Hunger And A Desire For Destruction
A voracious herbivore, the coypu can consume 6-8% of their body mass each (per name) day in plant material. Their diet consits of crops along with include rice, sugarcane and other agricultural products. Such feeding can lead to heavy damage of the crops viz enormous financial loss for farmers.
Besides in agriculture, they can also have a direct impact through disturbing small ecosystems. The rodents typically burrow into riverbanks, creating and maintain their own dens but ephemeral ones that weaken the soil. They can also burrow through the dykes and irrigation channels, causing infrastructure damage.
Furthermore, top of the pile coypus are able to beat out any native critters on prime locations for food and shelter leading directly to drops in domestic populations. They may also bring diseases, parasites and other invasive species that could jeopardize biodiversity.
Control and Management Techniques
Consequently, the negative effects induced by coypus supported the most control and management measures taken in impacted areas. These strategies include:
Trapping – An ordinar method, in which traps are established to catch the coypu personally.
Degradation and Fragmentation: In other cases of population management, it is in the form of controlled hunting or shooting.
However, poisoning must be practiced with great care because poison can find its way to non-target species as well.
Modifying Habitats: Modifying habitats to decrease cover and food can lower population of coypus in these areas.
The best way of avoiding coypus in the ecology and economy is to avoid its spread. Regulating these animals more strictly with respect to importation and also trade can help minimize the risk of new introductions.There should also be public awareness campaigns on the danger of setting coypus loose into natural ponds.
With the biological threat status of coypus recognized and therapies that can be effective at controlling them still, there is a lot we should all know about how to combat these invasive rodents where they are wreaking havoc in natural environments. j j