Invading Ireland: the coypu
By Dr Colin Lawton, National University of Ireland Galway One of the greatest threats to biodiversity is the invasion of alien species into an ecosystem. These can occur through natural migrations as a result of recent habitat or climate change, or species can be introduced by human activities, both accidentally or deliberately. Invasions are occurring…
Giant Rodent Invasion: The Coypu
Listed as among the Top 100 of the world’s worst invasive species, the coypu (also known as nutria) can cause severe damage to the environment in countries where it is an introduced species. Largely introduced as stock for fur farms and for private ownership, it has spread from its native range in South America to…