Nutria Feeding
Nutria foraging on the banks of a marsh near Lake Kerkini, Northern Greece. A Coypu’s diet mainly consists of aquatic plants and roots and small creatures such as snails or mussels. After grazing on the bank they take their meal into the water to wash it before eating.
Whilst on the hunt for new and interesting local wildlife around Lake Kerkini we discovered a thriving population of Coypu. These large semiaquatic rodents can reach a metre in length and weigh up to 9kg. Originally native to South America, they have since been introduced around the world.
About Coypu (Nutria):
Coypu, otherwise known as Nutria, are large semi aquatic rodents whose webbed feet make them perfectly adapted to a life on the water. Coypu are highly sociable animals, often living in family units of 10+ individuals. Nutria families live in burrows or nests in dense reedbeds along riverbanks, lakeshores, and wetlands. They are very strong swimmers and can remain submerged for as long as five minutes. A Coypu’s diet mainly consists of aquatic plants and roots and small creatures such as snails or mussels. After grazing on the bank they typically take their meal into the water to wash it before eating.