Nutria

rodent · river life · South America · semi-aquatic

Massive river rat. The nutria is a huge rodent that's much bigger than a regular rat, and it lives in South America where there are lots of rivers and wetlands to call home.

Burrow builder. Nutrias dig cozy burrows right alongside stretches of water, so they can easily slip into the river whenever they want to swim or find food.

Plant-eating champion. These rodents are herbivores, which means they're vegetarians that spend their days nibbling on river plant stems and other plants they find near the water.

Spiky rat relatives. Scientists used to think nutrias were completely unique, but now we know they're actually part of the spiny rat family, making them cousins to other rodents with spiky fur.