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Human intervention -

Over the centuries, there have been various attempts by humans to introduce, or reintroduce, new or extinct species into different environments.

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Soviet zoology -

One of the most well-documented attempts was that of Russian zoologist Nikolai Vereshchagin. His work is still impacting ecosystems today.

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The mission - In the middle of the 20th century, Vereshchagin set out on a mission to collect evidence of all the species of animal that had become extinct in Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia.

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The role of cave paintings -

He examined cave paintings as he moved through the region, and in 1954 he published a book in which he described the evolution of the Caucasus over the course of 11,000 years.

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Bold intentions -

With his research, Vereshchagin aimed not only to record the ecological history of the region; he also wanted to change it.

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'Enriching' ecosystems -

One of the main motivations for doing so was to provide more animals that humans could hunt for fur and game. However, there was also a supposed goal of 'enriching' ecosystems.

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Imported animals -

In an effort to reimagine the landscape, Vereshchagin and his team set about introducing imported animals on a large scale.

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Varieties of mammals introduced -

In Azerbaijan alone, more than nine species of mammals were introduced. They included short-tailed chinchillas from the Andes and raccoon dogs from China.

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Struggling species -

Most of the species that Vereshchagin and his team introduced struggled to survive in their new environment. One exception, however, was the giant South American swamp rat.

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Swamp rats -

When Vereshchagin first took the swamp rat, otherwise known as the coypu or nutria, to Azerbaijan, he introduced a modest population of just 213 rodents.

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In the 21st century -

Fast-forward 70 years, and swamp rats can be found in habitats all over the world. What's more, they are recognized as one of the world's 100 most invasive pests.

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Lookalikes -

Swamp rats look a little bit like capybara, social media's most beloved rodent. In general, however, swamp rats have fewer adoring followers.

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Appearance -

With orange incisors that never stop growing, and a tail that is around a foot long (or nearly 30 cm), swamp rats have never been much to look at.

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Behavior -

They are normally found living in pairs or large colonies, and generally they emerge during the evening to feast on a meal of roots and swamp grasses.

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Strong swimmers -

Coypu are able swimmers, thanks to the large, webbed feet on their hind legs. They can also dive for up to five minutes, in order to feed and escape predators.

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Adaptations -

Swamp rats have various adaptations that have allowed them to thrive in environments all over the world. Indeed, they can now be found on every continent except Antarctica and Oceania.

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Females -

One important characteristic of the females is that they can give birth to four or five offspring in a single litter.

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Breeding like rats -

Couple that with the fact that they can get pregnant again just days later, and you have a species that is able to procreate three or four times a year.

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Safe from predators -

Furthermore, outside of their native South America, coypu have been able to thrive without the threat of their naturally-occurring predators.

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Caveat -

That said, there is evidence that they have made their way into local food chains. In Italy, for example, they are hunted by the red fox and the grey wolf.

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The problem with swamp rats -

There are a number of problems associated with swamp rat populations. Firstly, they have a nasty habit of digging burrows in riverbanks, which can destabilize them and cause erosion.

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Their huge appetites -

Secondly, they have huge appetites and are known to forage aggressively. According to some accounts, swamp rats eat up to 25% of their body weight, throughout both summer and winter.

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Their huge appetites -

In ecosystems all over the world, the appetite of coypu has destroyed farmers' crops and has negatively affected various species of plant, insect, bird, and fish.

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Reservoirs for disease -

Finally, swamp rats have a reputation for carrying diseases that are harmful to humans. One of those diseases is toxoplasmosis.

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Toxoplasmosis -

Toxoplasmosis is an infection that usually has no symptoms; however, it can be dangerous to pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems.

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Attempts at eradication -

As a result of all this, many countries have been trying for years to eradicate swamp rats. Hardly any have succeeded, however.

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The UK -

One rare exception is the United Kingdom, where, after a coordinated effort of hunting and trapping, the last wild coypu was captured in 1989.

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Rest of the world -

For the rest of the world, full removal is much more challenging, and experts continue to grapple with the harmful effects of artificial introducing a species into a new habitat.

Sources: (BBC)

See also: Endangered dog breeds that could go extinct

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