The coypu is not native to Florida; USGS NAS documents 170 nonindigenous occurrences in the state with an established population, and NatureServe lists it as SNA since state conservation ranks don’t apply to introduced species. Florida’s 126 records, split between 103 iNaturalist and 86 GBIF entries, describe a real foothold rather than a handful of stray escapees.
Reports peak in April at 19 records, with May close behind at 16, then drop off through late summer. As a semi-aquatic rodent tied to marshes and canal banks, the coypu is easiest to detect when water levels and vegetation put it in view, so this spring bump says more about visibility than about when nutria are most active.
Full species profile
