Nutria
semi-aquatic species of the spiny rat family
The nutria () or coypu () (Myocastor coypus) is an herbivorous, semiaquatic rodent native to South America.
Classified for a long time as the only member of the family Myocastoridae, Myocastor has since been included within Echimyidae, the family of the spiny rats.
The nutria lives in burrows alongside stretches of water and feeds mainly on aquatic and riparian vegetation. In its native range it forms part of South American wetland food webs and can contribute to the dispersal of aquatic plants and spores.
Native to subtropical and temperate South America, it was introduced to North America, Europe and Asia, primarily by fur farmers. Although it is still hunted and trapped for its fur in some regions, introduced populations can damage wetland vegetation and infrastructure through feeding and burrowing, and the species is considered invasive in several countries. Some populations can carry some zoonotic pathogens, including pathogenic Leptospira, although their epidemiological significance is scarce and region-specific.
Etymology
The genus name Myocastor derives from the two Ancient Greek words μῦς (mûs) 'rat, mouse', and κάστωρ (kástōr) 'beaver'. Therefore, the name Myocastor literally means 'mouse-beaver'.
Two names are commonly used in English for Myocastor coypus.
“Nutria” enters the record as semi-aquatic species of the spiny rat family. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Nutria, semi-aquatic and species can confirm, complicate or overturn.
Why this record matters
“Nutria” is worth following because a concise public description often conceals a longer documentary argument. Here, Nutria, semi-aquatic and species provides the most credible route into that argument.
Datasets, specimens, observations and peer-reviewed methods provide the appropriate test for the technical claims summarized here. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 8, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q187704. The Library of Congress control number is sh85033681. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank.
Scientific names, classifications and consensus can change while older terminology persists in catalogues and historical literature. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
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This entry incorporates text from “Nutria” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.