Nutria were originally introduced to the United States in the early 1900s for fur farms. They were also later introduced as a means of biological species control to reduce invasive aquatic plants. However, as the fur industry declined in the 1940s, nutria farmers released their stock into the wild or they escaped. Once free, the nutria thrived in their new environments but began causing problems for native species and ecosystems through overgrazing and burrowing. Their successful establishment and spread in Oregon and other regions was largely a result of their intentional introduction and subsequent abandonment by failing fur farms.

1. Nutria: How they were
introduced to Oregon
In this lesson, you will learn about how
Nutria settled in Oregon:
• Fur farms
• Biological species control
• Release of the Nutria from failing farms

2. Fur Farms
• Nutria were
brought to the
United States as
early as 1899 to be
farmed for their fur.
• Marketed as a quick
and easy way to
make money
• The farms started to
fail in the 1940’s

3. What is biological species control ?
• The introduction of
one species to
decrease the
population of
another species.
– Ex. The introduction
of Grass Carp to
manage problem
plants.
http://www.compulink.co.uk/~argus/Dreambi
o/fertilisers%20and%20crops/EIL%20biological
%20control.gif

4. The Nutria as a Biological Species
Control
• Nutria were also
introduced to parts of
the United States to
control unwanted
vegetation.
– Introduced to control
invasive aquatic plant
species in lakes in the Gulf
region.
Nutria feeding on aquatic vegetation

5. The escape!
• With time the Nutria fur industry failed
• Farmers released their Nutria into the wild or the Nutria escaped
from the farms
• The Nutria that were introduced to control aquatic plant species
thrived, and quickly became a dominant species in the areas it was
introduced to.
• The distribution of Nutria today is displayed below

6. The invasion of the Nutria
1) Introduced for their fur and their ability to
control aquatic plant species
2) After fur farms closed down the Nutria were
released or they escaped
3) The Nutria thrived in their new environments,
where they began to cause problems for the
native species and the environment.

7. References
• Columbia University. Introduced species summary project: Nutria. (2002).
Retrieved on April 12th from
http://www.columbia.edu/itc/cerc/danoffburg/invasion_bio/inv_spp_sum
m/Myocastor_coypus.htm
• The Oregon encyclopedia. Nutria. (N.D.). Retrieved on April 12th from
http://www.oregonencyclopedia.org/entry/view/nutria/
• USGS. Myocastor Cyopus. (2014) Retrieved on April 12th
fromhttp://nas2.er.usgs.gov/viewer/GetStaticMap.aspx?region=us&width
=700&height=450&layer=na%20gl%20bnds%20sts%20rivers%20shuc6%20
shuc8%20snativehuc%20maptitle%20logo%20legend%20copy&maptitle=
Myocastor%20coypus%20&speciesid=1089
• Compulink. EIL biological control. (N.D.) Retrieved on April 12th from
http://www.compulink.co.uk/~argus/Dreambio/fertilisers%20and%20crop
s/EIL%20biological%20control.gif
• Ecosalon. (N.D) Retrieved on April 12th from http://ecosalon.com/wp-
content/uploads/2010/10/fur-2.jpg