Nutria rat
| Coypu Temporal range: Late Pliocene–Recent |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Superfamily: | Octodontoidea |
| Family: | Echimyidae |
| Subfamily: | Echimyinae |
| Tribe: |
Myocastorini Ameghino, 1904 |
| Genus: |
Myocastor Kerr, 1792 |
| Species: | M. coypus |
| Binomial name | |
|
Myocastor coypus (Molina, 1782) |
|
The coypu (from Spanish coipú, from Mapudungun kóypu;Myocastor coypus), also known as the nutria, is a large, herbivorous, semiaquatic rodent. It has been classified for a long time as the only member of the family Myocastoridae. However, studies based on the comparison of DNA and protein sequences showed that Myocastor is nested within Echimyidae, the family of the spiny rats. Originally native to subtropical and temperate South America, it has since been introduced to North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa, primarily by fur ranchers. Although it is still valued for its fur in some regions, its destructive feeding and burrowing behaviours make this invasive species's endurance controversial to human occupants throughout most of its range.
Coypus live in burrows alongside stretches of water. They feed on river plant stems.
The genus name Myocastor derives from the two ancient greek words (mûs), meaning "rat, mouse", and (kástōr), meaning "beaver". Literally, Myocastor is therefore called a "beaver rat".
Two names are commonly used in English for Myocastor coypus. The name "nutria" is generally used in North America, Asia, and throughout countries of the former Soviet Union; however, in Spanish-speaking countries, the word "nutria" refers to the otter. To avoid this ambiguity, the name "coypu" (derived from the Mapudungun language) is used in Latin America and Europe. In France, the coypu is known as a ragondin. In Dutch, it is known as beverrat (beaver rat). In German, it is known as Nutria, Biberratte (beaver rat), or Sumpfbiber (swamp beaver). In Italy, instead, the popular name is, as in North America and Asia, "nutria", but it is also called castorino ("little beaver"), by which its fur is known in Italy. In Swedish, the animal is known as sumpbäver (marsh/swamp beaver). In Brazil, the animal is known as ratão-do-banhado, nútria, or caxingui (the last from the Tupi language).
...
Wikipedia