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Show HSporledFurbearing flutria Rivaling " if..ekr.it In Economic Emportanee ..IM"" , nlltr:a as a fur-bearer, is ' Tday expected to rival the S;i mf at as a source of fur and s: muskrat as hern states like revenina says the U. S. Fish ! 10a WUdiife Service. Louisiana 9 i Nervation officials have esti-i:-' c01 J that in ten years nutria nhp worth $15,000,000 a N may, tn the state's fur trappers. J'll would be equivalent to lhi vaTue of muskrat and other ! in some of Louisiana's more ! 'Onerous years. t Ctria were imported to the l c from South America as I Vivas 1899, but a considerable 1 l-Stity of them were brought during the 1930s for expen-'inpntal expen-'inpntal fur-farming. The large jSat-like rodents did not do Z well in captivity however, Ind occasionally fur farmers re-,f",ed re-,f",ed the animals in nearby !:Zches to fend for themselves, 'gfher nutrias escaped by acci-dfRefore acci-dfRefore long, nutrias were well Ltrenched in Louisiana, New S ?exico and the State of Wash-Vinston. Wash-Vinston. The Louisiana nutrias & hve multiplied and overflowed in eastern Texas, Mississippi, ,, and Alabama. A few nutrias, probably escapees, have been jpoorted in Michigan, Ohio, Io-r.:a Io-r.:a and western Canada. ; While Louisiana fur-trappers t' and wildlife officials look upon J the nutria as a welcome resi- dent and economic asset with catches g r a d u a 1 1 y increasing from 900 to 27,000 in five years conservationists in nearby states question whether the nutria nu-tria migration will be an unmixed un-mixed blessing. The large rodents ro-dents dig into irrigation canals levees, and small dams to some extent. Nutrias have also been known to raid farmers' corn vegetables, rice or alfalfa crops. Fish and Wildlife Service specialists spe-cialists point out, however, that the high price paid on the market mar-ket for nutria pelts an average of $3.50 each will encourage trappers to keep the populations of the animal under control. The nutria, also called the "coypu," weighs about ten times the muskrat's average of 2 V2 to 3 pounds. Consequently, it gives a much larger pelt. The South American immigrant resembles the muskrat in color, tail and general conformation, but its wiry mustache gives its head a boxy appearance. A prolific creature, the nut.ria has a family of 5 to 10 young an average of two times a year. Before another year is past, the young nutria produce families of their own. The animal is also interesting in that it has mammary mam-mary glands along the sides of the back and the young can nurse while floating beside the mothe.r in the water. Waterfowl and muskrats live in the same marshes with nutrias nu-trias without crowding or unpleasantness. un-pleasantness. The nutria eats coarser march vegetatio n spurned by most creatures and thus occupies a habitat - niche not used by other animals. .-. -.N-?fS3SB9MfflrW "VSj I v , " fi t ! I - " - , i ' FIGURE ON FORMULA . . . After discussing with President Truman Tru-man possibilities of a farm price support program, Rep. Stephen Pace, Harold D. Ccolcy, Charles Brannan, aud Jolui McCormack leave White House. |