Origin, introductions, population growth rate and distribution in Europe

The coypu is native to South America, south of the 23 degree latitude, and present in Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Bolivia, Argentina and Chile. It has been introduced, mainly as an escapee from fur farms, to Europe, East Africa, North America and North Asia.

Coypus were introduced to fur farms in France as early as 1882. Later (1926–1967), they were introduced to many other European countries for fur farming purposes. Many individuals escaped from farms but they were also intentionally released into the wild as a new game animal, or in order to destroy aquatic vegetation, i.e. to prevent the overgrowing of waterways. The coypu was present at least in Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, England, Germany, Italy and Austria as early as the 1930s and are or have been present in the following European countries (non-EU countries in brackets): Belgium, Bulgaria, Spain, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Italy, Austria, Ireland, Greece, Croatia, Latvia, Luxembourg, (Norway), Poland, France, Romania, Sweden, Germany, Slovakia, Slovenia, Finland, (Switzerland), Denmark, Czech Republic, Hungary and (Russia). It is no longer present in at least Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Ireland, the United Kingdom and Spain. Effective culling eradicated it from England in 1989.

In new areas, the coypu adapted to waterfronts and wetlands, mires and swamps, rapidly forming permanent populations. Its population density may be up to > 20 individuals/ha. Both males and females spread out and may travel up to 40–50 km in search of a suitable habitat. The coypu may therefore appear rapidly in new areas. However, it has not not succeeded in all new habitats, but has occasionally vanished from the wild, often due to severe winters. In most European countries, the coypu is considered a pest but in Eastern European countries it is valued as a game animal for its fur.

Pathways and adaptation in Finland

Coypus were reportedly introduced to Finland in the 1960s and escapees from captivity have been spotted in the wild, at least in the 1990s, in the environs of Turku, where even a litter is known to have been reported. They are no longer present in Finland, nor kept on farms. Coypus cannot survive in the wild in Finnish conditions, because the winters are too severe. The nearest occurrences are currently in Poland, where coypus are managed in a semi-wild state on ponds for their fur. A wild population is also present in Poland. The species is highly unlikely to spread northwards and to Finland. However, global warming may contribute to its spread towards the Baltic countries.

Nutria (Coypu) – Myocastor coypus

No type specimen

Type specimen

No national museum collection specimen

National museum collection specimen