Myocastor coypus (Molina, 1782) . Sagg. Stor. Nat. Chile, p. 287.

TYPE LOCALITY: Chile, Santiago Prov., Rio Maipo .

DISTRIBUTION: S Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Bolivia, Argentina, Chile.

STATUS: Common.

SYNONYMS: albomaculatus, bonariensis, castoroides, chilensis, dorsalis, melanops, popelairi, santacruzae.

COMMENTS: Widely introduced into North America, Europe, N Asia, and E Africa. The common name coypu is preferable to nutria, since nutria in Spanish means otter. The species and subspecies were reviewed by Woods et al. (1992, Mammalian Species, 398).