What is a pet nutria rat? Louisiana couple given permit to keep 22-pound TikTok-famous rodent

A Louisiana couple and their pet rat named Neuty have been in the news lately after much public outcry on social media about letting the family keep the TikTok-famous nutria rat at their home. State officials have now allowed the Louisiana family to keep the 22-pound nutria with them as a pet.

For the uninitiated, nutria is an orange-toothed, rat-tailed rodent. The species is originally native to subtropical and temperate South America. It was introduced to North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa, primarily by fur farmers more than a century ago.

The rodent has been living with the Lacoste family for more than two years now.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries recently released a statement on Friday, in which they said,

"Myra and Denny Lacoste are being allowed to apply for a permit so they can legally keep Neuty the Nutria in their New Orleans home."

The details of the permit are currently being finalized.

Earlier, the wildlife department said that they would remove the rodent and said that they had arranged for it to be transported to the Baton Rouge Zoo.

They said in a statement,

"A family's pet nutria is set to be removed from the home of a New Orleans couple and moved to the Baton Rouge Zoo to be part of an educational exhibit."

They further stated that it is illegal to have a wild animal as a pet, especially a nutria, which is an invasive species and could be a source of health issues.

However, the statement did not go down well with social media users, and they started an online petition demanding that the state leave Neuty and his family alone. The petition was signed by more than 17,000 people.

Soon after this, the decision was made in favor of the Lacoste family and they allowed them to keep the rat.

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The Lacoste family kept the rat after its siblings were killed in traffic

In 2020, Denny Lacoste saw an injured animal and witnessed its siblings being killed in traffic. He and his wife, Myra, took care of the rodent and hand-fed it until it was able to eat on its own. They kept it as a pet.

The rat is popular on TikTok. There are multiple videos of him where he can be seen enjoying raw crawfish, scampering on the floor, and playing with the Lacostes.

Upon learning that the family has been allowed to keep the rodent, Denny and Myra said that they were beyond ecstatic to know about it. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Secretary Jack Montoucet also said that this is a good conclusion for all sides.

For the unversed, Nutria are large rodents. They are agile on land and are great swimmers. It weighs up to 37 pounds and has short limbs, a robust body, small eyes, and long whiskers.

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Nutria rats are considered an invasive species in Louisiana

The mammal has been thriving in their non-native North American habitats over the century. (Image via Shutterstock)

Nutria are large rodents that are primarily found in areas with lots of freshwater.

These mammals were introduced into the United States between 1899 and 1930. They are now considered an invasive species in the U.S. and other parts of the world due to their growing population. Female nutria may give birth to as few as one or as many as 13 offspring.

Their diet, which includes wetland vegetation and plants, harms agriculture and adds to coastal wetlands loss.

Also known as coypu or swamp rats, nutria are known to spread various diseases to humans and animals, mainly through water contamination.