There are many consequences of climate change, but here’s one you probably haven’t considered: swamp rats. As winters warm, large, semi-aquatic rodents called nutria have been expanding their range.
Characterized by bright orange front teeth, the beaver-sized animals can weigh anywhere between 10-20 pounds. Louisiana is so overrun with nutria that the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has a $5 bounty on their tails.
Native to South America, nutria were introduced to the United States at the turn of the 20th century to support the fur trade. But as the market for animal pelts waned, their populations exploded. Nutria reproduce rapidly and have few natural predators.
In addition to Louisiana, nutria can be found throughout the Southeast, in the Pacific Northwest, and in the Chesapeake Bay area. Typically, nutria will expand north and retreat south based on winter temperatures.
But according to researchers at the U.S. Geological Survey, warmer winters have caused nutria to move further north than usual. And as the warming trend continues, they may migrate across the country. In fact, research suggests that by 2050, nutria will be able to inhabit almost any state.
This is cause for concern because these rodents are a real threat to wetlands. They focus their feeding on the stems and roots of marsh plants, which leads to erosion. Productive marshland is reduced to mudflats, to the detriment of water quality and wildlife.
Scientists are working to find effective control measures for nutria, to protect marshes, and the diversity of life that depends on wetlands, from crabs and fish to nesting waterfowl.
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Web Links
Swamp Rats on the Move as Winters Warm
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=swamp-rats-on-the-move-as-winters-warm
Nutria
http://www.chesapeakebay.net/fieldguide/critter/nutria
Photo, taken on July 8, 2013, courtesy of Alois Staudacher via Flickr.
Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio. Support for Earth Wise comes from the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook, NY.