An invasion of dangerous three-foot rat-like creatures with orange teeth is wreaking havoc across California, threatening the safety of residents and the state’s economy.
Nearly 1,000 otters, one of the largest rodent species, have already been hunted in the Bay Area this year.
But the creatures have now made their way into Contra Costa County’s California delta, which is one of the state’s most important water sources and ecological sites, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
Also known as coipu, these animals, which weigh about 20 pounds, pose a threat to humans, livestock and pets, and cause widespread destruction in wetlands.
They are known to carry tapeworms and harbor life-threatening diseases such as tuberculosis and septicemia. They also carry blood and liver flukes that can cause infections from exposure to contaminated water, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
The otter, also known as nutria, is a species of invasive rodent that can weigh up to 20 pounds and reach two and a half feet in length.
Nutria has now arrived in the California Delta of Contra Costa County, one of the state’s most important water sources and ecological sites. Pictured: Danville’s Blackhawk Plaza
Otters resemble beavers, with the distinction of having highly arched backs and “long, thin, round, sparsely haired tails rather than broad, flat tails like a beaver’s,” according to the CFWD.
The rodents are usually found near permanent water sources and have large, bright orange teeth, as well as a white snout and whiskers.
Since the first otter, a pregnant female, was discovered in a private wetland in March 2017 in California, 5,042 species of the species have died in the state.
Officials urge locals to “immediately” report and photograph any sightings or possible signs of their presence to their state wildlife department.
Peter Tira, spokesman for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, said SF Gate: ‘We cannot allow otters to reproduce in the delta. “The threat to California’s economy is too great.”
The spread is especially alarming because of the animal’s prolific reproduction rate: females give birth to up to 27 offspring a year.
They also breed year-round, producing two to three litters each with two to nine young per litter.
In addition to this, there is no natural predator that keeps its population in check.
In some states, including California, rodents are on the prohibited species list, which prohibits their importation, possession, exchange, purchase, sale and transportation.
It is legal to shoot the animal outside city limits or wildlife control officers can kill it through humane euthanasia.
Tides push salt water into the Delta from the Pacific, and fresh water travels into the Delta from the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers and then through levee channels into San Pablo Bay, San Francisco Bay, and the Pacific Ocean.
The California Delta channels water throughout the state for agricultural uses and human consumption
This highly destructive species is known to cause significant crop losses and weaken levees due to its burrowing.
Its effect on ecosystems also represents a threat to rare and endangered species and plants that depend on the marshes.
Each otter can consume up to 25 percent of its body weight per day. But Krysten Kellum of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said they “waste and destroy up to ten times as much,” according to SFGate.
The CFWD added: “Otters do not build burrows, but burrows, often causing water retention or flood control levees to break, weakening structural foundations and eroding banks,” the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
The California Delta, where otters are now beginning to live, helps channel water to cities and farms across the state, making it easier for the rodents to spread to more regions.
Tides push salt water into the Delta from the Pacific, and fresh water travels into the Delta from the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers and then through levee channels into San Pablo Bay, San Francisco Bay, and the Pacific Ocean.
The U.S. Geological Survey said that, when necessary, water from the Sacramento River is diverted and pumped through leveed canals to the California Aqueduct and the Delta-Mendota Canal.
This water ends up being consumed by humans and used for agricultural purposes throughout central and southern California.
Since the aquatic rodent invasion, the California Department of Water Resources has issued a dire—and equally hilarious—warning about the otter.
Presenting the creature as a “two-faced creature” straight out of a horror movie, the DWS created a movie-like poster that said that although the animal was “so cute,” the rodent was a “monster.”
‘Behind that priestly exterior hides a monster. Beware of the dark side of the otter. “They may seem harmless, but they are invasive rodents that have the ability to destroy wetlands and damage levees,” the DWS wrote.
The State of California asks all residents to report and photograph any Otter sightings or signs.
Each Otter can consume up to 25 percent of its body weight per day, said Kellum of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
The rodents are usually found near permanent water sources and have large, bright orange teeth to differentiate them from beavers, as well as a white snout and whiskers.
Their high rates of population increase are due to their breeding year-round, producing two to three litters each with two to nine young per litter, as well as the lack of a natural predator.
Otters are also causing problems beyond California, with reports of problems in Oregon.
In fact, wild populations have already been established in 17 states, including Louisiana, Washington, Oregon and California.