Saw one for the first time today. Just south of the Oregon Inlet, ( Outer Banks, NC.) on the berm of Route 12. Saw a second one, this one dead, in the town of Avon. Are they common in this area ?

I've caught hundreds of them in northeast NC as well as east central NC.

Cute little guys aren’t they!!

No, they're water possums. They plug up beaver traps like possums plug fox traps.

I first thought it was a muskrat on steroids. Much larger than I anticipated, and at 60 mph, I could still see how nasty their fur looked.

Yeah, they have been in Virginia Beach for more than 10 years.

They taste pretty good nice white meat.

Belly fur on nutria is very nice. Nutria were away graded on belly fur and holes in the back did not lower the value. Measured from lower lip to vent.

I was in Hatteras a month ago ...an would see one or two along the ditches like everyday

Like Yellow Boy said they eat good. Many of person has eaten “lapin” gumbo when they visit the duck camp and have made remarks to the fact we kill some “big rabbits around here”.

My favorite to skin, flesh and put up. I can skin a boat load of them in no time.

I've passed off quite a few as rabbit at the camp.

Facts!

Caught one in Hatteras on a piece of fresh tuna in a coon bucket. They are plant eaters.

We used to have a lot in SW AR. Now, we dont have many nutria or beaver - but plenty of gators