Nutria nuisance: the invasive rodent you can eat
It's National Invasive Species Awareness Week, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is highlighting an animal that's causing major erosion to the banks of ditches, lakes, and other water bodies. Officials say the solution could lie in your kitchen.
Action News Jax spoke with a local critter control expert, who says they're causing problems all over Duval County.
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
That rodent is called a Nutria, which some refer to as a 'water rat.' The large, semi-aquatic rodents are considered an invasive species. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says these invasive pests were brought here for their fur and began to escape captivity back in the 1940s.
'They are so common in this area you can go to any retention pond in this area and you're going to at least find one,' said the owner of Truly Nolen Pest Control and rodent expert Kevin Dissmore.
Dissmore said that Duval County has a high number of Nutrias living and breeding in our retention ponds. Jacksonville has the highest concentration of the animal across Florida, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Read: JSO gets the green light to relocate headquarters into the Florida Blue building
Dissmore took us on a tour of a pond in the area, where evidence of the animals was left behind.
'Right up the slide here; they leave an imprint in the area that they're coming in and out, the exact spot the nut' came out,' Dissmore said.
Dissmore and his daughter even spotted Nutrias in their own retention pond.
'I'll say we have about 4 to 10 in here.'
The problem with Nutrias is that they pose a significant threat to marshland.
'So, they're destroying the vegetation that other animals rely on, but then it also destroys the landscape, and you've got erosion happening at a really high rate with these guys; they're causing the erosion,' According to Dissmore.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wants you to know: this furry rodent is edible. The federal agency even posted on X that Nutria meat is comparable to a rabbit.
'I would not be opposed to eating a Nutria,' Dissmore said.
However, not everyone is eager to add them to their menu.
'There's a lot of animals I want to eat, a lot of people eat, but not me,' said one local, Emmanuel.
'That looks like an animal I could have at home as a pet,' said another man, Christopher.
Dissmore believes trapping them is not enough.
'They have to be un-alived, and that's the only way to protect our environment.'
Related: Effort begun to eradicate giant African snails in Florida
According to the FWC, the Gun and Light at Night Permit authorizes individuals to legally hunt nutria overnight after notifying the FWC. Still, it must be on the hunter's own land or with the land owner's permission. The animal must also be on land or near crops that it is actively harming.
The FWC's fur-bearer trapping regulations allow statewide nutria trapping year-round with no bag limits.
The nutria is just one animal that environmental officials are spotlighting in honor of National Invasive Species Awareness Week, which ends Friday.
Several invasive species are hunted in the state with proper approval.
Florida's most famous pests are arguably the Burmese python and the green iguana, but they're mostly seen in southern parts of the state.
You're encouraged to report nutria sightings to FWC using the free IveGot1 mobile app or by reporting it online here.
Related: Officials warn of Florida invasive pythons spreading northward due to climate change
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Yahoo
Invasive tumbleweeds are causing problems in Nassau County: Learn how to combat them
The City of Fernandina Beach and the non-profit group Invader Raiders are teaming up to help combat an invasive plant growing in Nassau County. The Russian Thistle, a spikey tumbleweed commonly shown in depictions of the wild west, has popped up in parts of Florida. Once mature, it often ends up breaking loose and rolling across local beaches, so the goal is to get them while they're young and green. A single plant can produce more than 200,000 seeds, according to the University of Arizona. When they roll, they leave those seeds behind and contribute to an increasing population the following year. The tumbleweeds pose a fire hazard and a threat to both native beach wildlife and people enjoying the beaches. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] The plants can be identified by their round shape, fleshy, needle-like leaves, and striped stems. Invader Raiders will host a Russian Thistle training session and plant round-up on Wednesday, June 11th at Fort Clinch State Park. The event will begin at 8:30 A.M. and end around 10 A.M. Volunteers are asked to bring gloves and water with them to the meetup in the East End Parking Lot. The groups are also searching for volunteers to 'adopt' and walk a half mile of the beach twice a month through August or September to help remove the invasive plant. Anyone with questions is asked to contact Kathy Russell at krussell@ >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Yahoo
Historic Juneteenth document debuts in Dallas
The Brief The only known original Juneteenth General Order No. 3 will be on exhibit at Fair Park's Hall of State in Dallas starting June 19. The historical document signifying the end of slavery in Texas was brought to Dallas by a Galveston newspaperman, G.B. Dealey. The exhibit is free and will continue to be on display through the end of the State Fair of Texas. DALLAS - The only known remaining, the original Juneteenth General Order No. 3, will go on exhibit at Fair Park's Hall of State on June 19. Civil rights leaders said it is special that Dallas gets to have this special piece of history. The only known copy of the order that symbolized the end of slavery both here in Texas and in the United States. What we know The Dallas historical society says their founder, a Galveston newspaperman, G.B. Dealey, brought this original copy of General Order No. 3 to Dallas, when he moved here from Galveston to start the Dallas Morning News. Executive director, Karl Chiao, says Dealey's family donated the hand bill to the historical society in the 1960's. "They came to Texas with a stack of bills passing them out. The only one that kept them was a newspaper in Galveston," said Chiao. "When we went through it, we realized we had one of the original hand bills that had been passed out to let slaves know they were free in Texas." Collections curator Kaitlyn Price says the order was recently framed in special glass that will protect it from UV light, as well as dust particles. "There are a few printed versions. This is the only one we know of that is an original-printed version signed by General Granger himself," said Price. "[This document] would have been posted in town squares, city halls and carried by union soldiers." The backstory The order guaranteed the "absolute equality of personal rights". Once on display to the public on June will be surrounded by other interactive exhibits that show how the order was received with firsthand accounts that often included the phrase, "you are as free as I am." Marvin Dulaney is the deputy director of the African-American museum and spoke on the historical significance of this document. "It is one of the significant documents in American history that signifies the end of slavery in Texas and the United States," said Dulaney. "It means a lot to me that we have this here in Dallas, of all places. Signifies Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863 took another 2.5 years before it got to Texas, but when it got to Texas it was conclusive for ending slavery in this country." What they're saying Levi Davis, the first African American assistant city manager in Dallas, will be part of the panel discussions. He says change in Dallas took a long time. "Dallas was a different place. I became in charge of the police department and I called the police chief who reported to me. But he wouldn't answer the phone because I was black, although I was his boss," said Davis. What's next The document will continue to be on display through the end of the State Fair of Texas. The exhibit will be open to the public, starting with a panel discussion here on Thursday, June 19 at 6:30 pm. It is free, but a reservation is required. The Source Information in this article was provided by interviews conducted by FOX 4's Lori Brown.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Public invited to comment on Castillo de San Marcos seawall rehabilitation plan
The National Park Service is planning to raise and rehabilitate the sea walls around the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument, and it's now asking for public comment on the plan. According to officials, the current condition of the seawall, which helps prevent flooding of the area during storms, ranges from fair to poor. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] The public input period runs from June 9 to July 9, allowing review of the Environmental Assessment of the plan. It includes three alternative plans and analyzes potential impacts. 'We continue to be excited about this project and look forward to increasing resiliency from storm events and flooding to the Fort and St. Augustine,' said Gordie Wilson, Superintendent of Castillo de San Marcos National Monument. 'This project will replace critical centuries-old infrastructure in a thoughtful and sensitive way. The priority is historic preservation and flooding protection of the Fort and the surrounding communities.' To review the plan and provide your own input online, click here. Although submitting comments through the project website is preferred, comments may also be mailed to: Attn: Superintendent Gordie Wilson Raise and Rehabilitate Seawall Project Castillo de San Marcos National Monument 1 South Castillo Drive St Augustine, FL 32084 Mailed comments must be postmarked by July 9, 2025. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
