• Korean System Dynamics Review
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.53-74
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• 2015

Nutria(Myocastor coypus) is one of the most notorious invasive species in many countries. The Nutria's original range was South America like Brazil, Chile and Argentina. But it has been introduced to North America, Europe, Africa, and Asia including Korea, by fur ranchers. Like most invasive and disturbing species, nutria not only destroys habitats but also impacts many native species throughout most of its range with destructive feeding behavior. The purpose of this study is to investigate the dynamics of survival mechanism, population increase and spatial distribution, and eradication effect of Nutria on Nakdong River Area with the systems thinking. The result of this study revealed that Nutria can survive during winter with the behavior that the colder the winter was, the more deeply it burrowed. Further, the study uncovered the dynamics that nutria has survived more and more strongly during the extreme cold winter in almost every region and their population has increased dramatically as a result of the uncontrolled reproduction. Finally, the result showed that the action delay in eradicating Nutria, which was originated from the information delay of perception of nutria's survival and reproduction structure, reinforced the spread of Nutria across the nation.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.582-591
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• 2022

This study was conducted to eliminate Myocastor coypusMolina, 1782 (Nutria) from Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, South Korea. Habitat identification and eradication were carried out from September to November 2013, and a survey was carried out until June 2022 to check whether the eradication was successful. The habitat was identified with unmanned cameras, interviews, and literature surveys, and the capture was performed using the trapping method with food to attract nutria to the habitat area. The study area for the follow-up survey, which was set relatively wide considering nutria's home range, included wetlands and rivers within 4.0 km² of the habitat area (eradication area). As a result, nutria's habitat was confirmed only at Songdang Ranch, Songdang-ri, of Jeju Island, with traces of habitat (footprints, excrement, and burrows) confirmed in waterways and ponds within the pasture. Eight individuals were captured, including four females, three males, and one individual in too advanced a state of decay to identify the sex. The follow-up survey thoroughly investigated the habitat and its surroundings, focusing on three areas with permanent water, Seongeup Reservoir, Cheonmi Creek, and Molsuni Pond, but no signs of habitat were identified. Therefore, it is determined that nutria inhabiting Jeju Island has been completely eradicated. It is believed that the successful eradication of nutria in the Jeju Special Autonomous Region was possible due to a synergy between 1) the eradication of nutria at the beginning of the settlement phase through rapid capture after confirming the nutria habitat and 2) the delayed expansion period because of rare presence of wetlands, where water is constantly stagnant, on Jeju Island. These results imply that quickly identifying the ecological characteristics of the species and preventing disturbances before they or at the beginning of the ecological disturbance through control and eradication at the initial stage of settlement before the expansion stage is an effective measure to cope with the influx of alien species.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.375-378
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• 2018

A total of 44 adult or juvenile nutrias were necropsied for disease survey. A large nodule was found in the liver of a nutria. The histopathological specimen of the hepatic nodule was microscopically examined, and sectional worms were found in the bile duct. The worms showed a tegument with spines, highly branches of vitelline glands and intestine. Finally, we histopathologically confirmed fascioliasis in a wild nutria. In the present study, a case of fascioliasis in a wild nutria is first confirmed in Korea.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.1.1-1.4
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• 2020

Tumor incidence in wild mammals is reportedly very low. Wild nutria, a large rodent, is known to carry many infectious diseases, but rarely exhibits neoplastic diseases. We necropsied a male wild nutria and found a large nodular mass in the left inguinal region, adjacent to the penis. Histopathologically, the mass was diagnosed as preputial gland adenoma. Spontaneous preputial gland adenomas are extremely rare in all animals. Moreover, reports of tumors in nutrias have been limited to adenocarcinomas of the lungs and uterus, as well as subcutaneous fibromas. Here, we describe preputial gland adenoma in a wild nutria.

• Journal of Species Research
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.100-103
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• 2012

Nutria Myocastor coypus is one of a well known invasive riparian mammal found species around world from North America to Eurasia and Africa. In South Korea, feral nutrias inhabit areas from the Nakdonggang and Namgang (River) to their tributaries and Upo Wetland where they have had devastating effects on environment. Nevertheless, there has been little research about nutrias in Korea. This study is to analyze the genetic structure of the nutria population in the Upo Wetland and identify the origin of the source populations. Twenty individuals from the Upo Wetland were genotyped using 25 microsatellite loci. When compared with another introduced population, that of the Blackwater Nation Wildlife Refuge in U.S., the Upo population contains considerable genetic variations. Tests for Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium and Bayesian clustering analysis suggest the Upo population is genetically structured and has at least two source populations. This preliminary study presents the need for further in-depth studies about this species which should combine genetic and ecological studies.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.139-142
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• 2017

A six-year-old male captive nutria (Myocastor coypus) maintained in a closed space with a small vent was found dead in his cage. Gross findings showed multifocal nodules in varying sizes, small 0.5 to large 5 cm in diameter, intermixed with normal parenchyma were scattered all over the surface of the lungs and a kidney, which the cut surface was smooth, compact and whitish in color. Microscopically, small round to oval neoplastic cells with modest to slight amounts of cytoplasm formed acinar and gland-like structures. Immunohistochemically, cells were strongly positive for E-cadherin and slightly reactive for thyroid transcription factor-1 (TTF-1). Based on those diagnostic features, the neoplasia was diagnosed as primary pulmonary adenocarcinoma (small cell type) and metastasized into the kidney. This is the first case report of malignant pulmonary tumor and its metastasis in the nutria.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.491-511
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• 2013

In this study, three survey areas in Changnyeong, Miryang and Jinju of the confirmed the habitation of nutria and carried out the performance on the plant diet resource. From the habitat trace survey in the nutria habitat, a total of 336 trace points was shown. There were 181 trace points (54%) confirmed from St. 1 as the highest showing, followed by 52 trace points (15.4%) from St. 2, and 103 trace points (30.6)% from St. 3. The vascular plants distributed in the habitat area were a total of 182 taxonomic group with 57 families, 99 genus, 16 hybrids, and 1 race. The vascular plant living types in the habitat area are 1-year plant (Th, Th(w)) for 63class groups (34.6%), hemicryptophyte (H) for 42class groups(23.1%). plants, trees, crop plants were included. As a result of analyzing the overseas research cases on the diet plants of nutria, there are 195 taxonomic groups in a total of 39 families, 126 genus, 183 breeds, and 12 hybrids. In the study areas, feeding the plants was confirmed by the 7 taxonomic groups, aquatic plant, terrestrial From the total of 182 taxonomic groups discovered in the habitat area, 20 class groups, in 3 habitation region, 10 class groups of commonly appearing 49 class groups were shown to be the breed confirmed for diet in existing case studies, and assuming from it basis, the nutria habitating in the survey area is considered to have the supply of diverse diet resource to have flawless habitation. This is implication of having potential breeding possibility.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2017

The study was carried out to understand the inhabiting status and biological features of nutria (Myocastor coypus) in the Jeju Island from May, 2013 to August, 2016. Five individuals were captured by traps and two individuals were collected in dead. Of the 7 individuals, those whose bio-information could not be known were excluded to perform autopsy of the rest of them. The results from morphological, cranial and anatomical analyses, it was found that the females achieved sexual maturation but had no breeding experience. An adult male showed similar sizes to those found in the Korean Peninsula. After collecting the 7 individuals in 2013, 1 nutria individual was filmed by the scouting camera in May, 2014 but not captured. The long-term investigation of the research area found no inhibiting individual. It is deemed the nutria was either died of natural death or migrated. In order to establish a proper nutria control, the environmental characteristics of Jeju Island should be considered where indigenous and introduced species coexist in a limited space. Our findings will provide helpful information for understanding biological features of nutria and planning protection program of natural ecosystems of Jeju Island.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.265-273
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• 2015

It is the better to take preventative measures against the natural intrusion in advance from invasive alien species that reduce biodiversity and cause economic loss to humans. If the prevention of intrusion and spread fails, we need to make active control and eradication. This study aims to introduce nutria (Myocastor coypus) control cases performed in the United Kingdom and the United States and to provide information for the contribution of nutria management measure improvements. The nutria eradication campaign in the United Kingdom was developed as a long-term plan based on sufficient understanding on the management target and objective and suitable support. Sufficient information on nutria was accumulated and the management strategy was flexibly modified according to the changes in management that were proactively reflected in the field. Regarding the eradication project at Chesapeake Bay in the United States, based on long-term ecological information, more advanced capture technology than in the United Kingdom were introduced and the eradication plan, strategy and implementation were configured by analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of the eradication campaign in the United Kingdom. The successful cases in the United Kingdom and the United State provide an information on how to improv the nutria management measure. For the eradication of nutria, it is necessary to reach a consensus between stakeholders and to form a consultative group between related organizations for periodic communication. Opinions on the field must be actively accepted in the consultation process for strategy and policy decision, and the eradication plan needs to be developed based on a management index. The eradication plan is required to be managed, evaluated and adjusted in a systematic way. Scientific management must be introduced and the management performance must be evaluated objectively so that a practical plan can be flexibly adjusted. It is also required to secure a long-term budget support and a stable organization and to input a concentrated budget at the proper period when there is high efficiency of eradication.

• Proceedings of the KSCN Conference
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• 2005.04a
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• pp.162-162
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• 2005