This is a Nutria. He looks like a cousin of the Beaver with his big front teeth, webbed back feet and the same glossy brown fur. The only obvious difference is in the tail. Where beavers typically have a paddle shape, the Nutria's looks just like a rat's. In fact, they actually are a semi-aquatic rodent. I know that fact alone might make some people squirm, but they're endearing in their way (and I intend to show you that, in time). Two years ago you'd only see them at dusk, perching nervously on the grassy edges of the lake, skittish and shy, hopping back into the safety of the water if a human happened to be walking by.
They're herbivores and should be eating reeds and other water plants, but here he is busy with my piece of bread, clutching it between his hands like a Big Mac. These buggers have gotten so used to getting a few bites from well meaning visitors -- me included --that they've recently gotten far more bold.
Now I see them in abundance in broad daylight, and as soon as they realize a group of ducks are being fed, they upset the apple cart to get theirs. Squinting up at you from the water, they beg. If you don't indulge them, they pull themselves out and walk steadily toward you. You can put up your hand in the stop position or even hold the sole of your foot in their face and they keep advancing (though there's nothing aggressive about their approach, no hissing or teeth). I even had one sit upright on his haunches and becon with one outstretched hand curling back toward his mouth, clearly signaling "Gimme"... the exact hand gesture a human being would make (endearing fact #1)!
While it's pretty clear they can't see too well (and that's very funny -- endearing fact #2) or perhaps they're not bright enough to interpret those cues, in my mind, there's only one explanation for this behavior: they're carb addicted.
They're herbivores and should be eating reeds and other water plants, but here he is busy with my piece of bread, clutching it between his hands like a Big Mac. These buggers have gotten so used to getting a few bites from well meaning visitors -- me included --that they've recently gotten far more bold.
Now I see them in abundance in broad daylight, and as soon as they realize a group of ducks are being fed, they upset the apple cart to get theirs. Squinting up at you from the water, they beg. If you don't indulge them, they pull themselves out and walk steadily toward you. You can put up your hand in the stop position or even hold the sole of your foot in their face and they keep advancing (though there's nothing aggressive about their approach, no hissing or teeth). I even had one sit upright on his haunches and becon with one outstretched hand curling back toward his mouth, clearly signaling "Gimme"... the exact hand gesture a human being would make (endearing fact #1)!
While it's pretty clear they can't see too well (and that's very funny -- endearing fact #2) or perhaps they're not bright enough to interpret those cues, in my mind, there's only one explanation for this behavior: they're carb addicted.
I know how it feels to be craving a potato chip or a flaky croissant and there've been days I'd push someone into traffic to get to some. I've heard of people for whom even a dog biscuit would do in a pinch (actually, I haven't but it describes the desperation nicely). I know you're just on the edge of your seat about this, but I have to go to bed.
More to come.
Posts
