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Genetic Study Links Nutria to Oregon Reintroduction

4/8/2026

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Story summary
  • A genetic study by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) traced nutria to central Oregon, indicating reintroduction.
  • Nutria are large semi-aquatic rodents that damage wetlands and crops.
  • The study used DNA comparisons from global nutria populations and found California's lineage from a single maternal line.
  • Since 2017, CDFW's Nutria Eradication Program has removed 7,841 nutria and continues to curb spread in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and Central Valley.