Coypu

We saw these friendly chaps in the F�¼rst P�¼ckler Park in Cottbus, Germany last week.


Mother and Child on a weeny island in the lake -







Hubby threw some acorns in for them to eat -








This one decided to come for a closer look at me -




[ 03. September 2007, 09:45 AM: Message edited by: Kedi-Gato ]

 

Are you sure its musk rat? I wondered whether they are coypu.

 

Think your right geoff the bright orange teeth are a give away.

 

Thanks guys, you are right. I have edited the title.

I have never heard this name before, just nutria, I looked in Wikipedia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coypu

 

great pics kedigato, they are ever so cute

 

Thanks rosa. I was so pleased they came that close so that I could get good shots of them.

 

They escaped from fur farms in Norfolk and Suffolk in the 50's and 60's here but were ventually erradicated as they caused so much damage. Mink are still thriving unfortunately.

 

Muskrat is a name I know, not the rest. Maybe it's an American name?

 

LoL The Muskrat or Musquash (Ondatra zibethicus), is native to N. america is much smaller than the coypu 1-2kg was released in this country in the early 30s caused widespread damage a severe infestation occured in and around shrewsbury eventually eradicated.The Coypu (Myocastor coypus)is a native of S.america much bigger introduced to fur farms in the s.e some escaped did a lot of damage on the broads, they were spreading at quite a rate when the bad winter of 1963 saw almost 90 percent of them off, professional trappers were employed to get rid of the rest and were paid very high wages , the last one was caught in 1986, thank goodness for cold winters after the cold spell in 1963 some 35,000 were caught.So Keddi don't let any get out.