ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - An invasive rodent species is moving north and could potentially be a problem for residents in Southern Illinois.
Nutria have been a major problem in 22 states, including Louisiana. They look a bit like a muskrat or a beaver.
"They are smaller than a beaver, but are bigger than a muskrat," said Derek Whipkey,a graduate at SIU-Carbondale on Total Information A.M. "They have characteristics of blocky head, these white whiskers. When you look at it, typically, you think it's a beaver, but when you look closer, it's not."
Whipkey says nutria are voracious eaters who can "denude" a wetland of vegetation leading to erosion.
"Over time it can destroy the entire wetland habitat," said Whipkey. "That's a characteristic of muskrat as well, but when you compile that with a native species that is already here and then add on another one, it can decimate wetlands incredibly fast."
Nutria can't handle cold weather and live mostly in water but some studies show they are acclimating. A nutria's tail are most vulnerable to frostbite, so Whipkey says if they lose their tails, it's possible for them to acclimate to the cold and keep marching north.
Whipkey says their distribution is right at the edge of Southern Illinois, but it's not clear if they've colonized yet.
"In the past decade, we have kind of had reports of nutria, but it's not quite clear if they have colonized," said Whipkey. "One of the issues is dispersing individuals and that's kind of where my research took place and what we are trying to figure out there."