Limited Edition BoneBox Reveal: Nutria

Hey there, #SkeletonCrew! Aren't you loving the new specimens you've received in your Limited Edition #BoneBox so far? We are having such a good time seeing all of your reactions, and we've especially had fun curating the Limited Edition contents for you all. According to your reactions so far, the nutria is one of the more interesting creatures we've featured in the history of #BoneBox!

 

 

 

The nutria has unfortunately earned a not-so-great reputation, especially in Louisiana, where they are often referred to by the locals as “swamp rats”. These large rodents otherwise known as coypu have been almost solely responsible for significant loss of the Louisiana wetlands in the last fifty years. Native to South America, nutria were brought to the United States in the 1930s to be domesticated as fur animals. Fur as a fashion statement was all the rage at the time, and nutria fur was in high demand because of its expensive look and feel without the high cost. The fur was even being worn by Hollywood starlets like Greta Garbo and Sophia Loren. In 1940, a mass of farmed nutria escaped during a hurricane and in almost no time, Louisiana had a sizable new pest on their hands.

 

What is an invasive species?

As nutria began to invade the swamps of Louisiana through the 1940s and 50s, they quickly made themselves known and began to cause significant damage to the land. To be considered an invasive species, an animal must meet a few criteria. First, they must cause major disruption to the ecosystem around them, physically degrading the health of said ecosystem. Next, the animals will not be native to the area in which they are wreaking havoc, and finally, once the invasive animal is introduced to the area, it will cause significant environmental harm and sometimes even harm to human health. The nutria quickly met all the criteria and within less than three decades, earned themselves the “invasive” title.

 

Since nutria breed so quickly and frequently, and the swamps of Louisiana provide such a perfect environment for the nutria to thrive, the state’s marshes and swamps very quickly became overrun with the large rodents. The nutria’s favorite foods (roots and the base of aquatic plants) physically hold the Louisiana wetlands together, and with nutrias consuming about 25% of their weight in plants each day, the state of Louisiana was forced to act or face losing the wetlands forever. Keeping the wetlands intact is vital, as they only cover about 5% of the United States’ land surface, yet are home to approximately 31% of the nation’s plant species. More than anything, the Louisiana wetlands provide the area with much-needed storm surge protection. If the vegetation were to erode further, the already fragile area would be much more susceptible to disastrous flooding and hurricane damage.

  

 

In 2002, in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife department, the state of Louisiana decided to take action. A yearly hunting season was designated from November through March, called the Coastwide Nutria Control Program. Hunters and trappers were offered a $5 per-creature incentive to hunt nutria. Some of the coastal citizens who participate in this popular incentive program were featured in the critically acclaimed documentary Rodents of Unusual Size. In this smart and surprisingly heartwarming film, we learn all about coastal nutria control programs as well as all the clever ways nutrias are harvested each year. One gentleman featured in the film chooses to forego the hunting and keeps nutrias as pets!

 

 

One of the more clever ventures featured in the film involves fur as fashion. In the 1980s, wearing fur became taboo in our society, mostly because of animal rights concerns. In the last decade however, environmental concerns have caused us to re-think sustainability, especially in fashion. Forward-thinking fashion company Righteous Fur is at the forefront of this revamped craze. The mission of Righteous Fur is to provide a stylish, eco-friendly alternative to traditional fur and “to bring designer nutria fur clothing to the contemporary fashion market”. Founder Cree McCree says that she wanted to market nutria as a “guilt-free fur that belongs on the runway instead of at the bottom of the bayou”. Her sentiment is simple: “If [nutrias] are being killed anyway, then why not make something beautiful out of them?”

 

 

Another ingenious way nutrias have been utilized? Cooking and eating them. Try to stay with us here. We realize that eating an enormous rodent may sound a little strange, and honestly, kudos to the chef who discovered that nutria meat is not just edible, but palatable. Nutria meat is actually very clean and pure because of their strict vegetarian diets. The meat is also quite versatile and can be used in a variety of recipes. There are several organizations that promote creating a commercial market for edible invasive species, including Can’t Beat ‘Em, Eat ‘Em, founded by chef Philippe Parola. The Institute for Applied Ecology in Oregon even hosts an Invasive Species Cookoff each year with four categories including best meat and best dessert. The goal of these organizations and events is to raise awareness about invasive species and ultimately give the public tools and knowledge to help stop a total nutria takeover in the precious wetlands. We highly recommend watching the film Rodents of Unusual Size for a fun and informative look at just how much damage a massive group of large rodents can do to a single ecosystem, and what you can do to help. You can read more about the film and watch the trailer here!