Pic snapped in Lowe’s parking lot in southern Maryland this morning.
What is it?
Nutria (Coypu), I think.
Given the size and naked tail, I would agree.
At first glance it looks to me like a regular old groundhog, but I figured there’s no way you would post here to ask someone to identify a groundhog, as common as they are around her (unless you’re not local).
Nutria is possible I guess, but I think it might also be a muskrat, which I think might be a little more common for the area.
I’m also in Maryland (MoCo) and agree it looks like a groundhog. Hard to tell the length of the tail in the picture, but muskrats appear to havemuch longer tails.
I was basing the ID on the apparent lack of fur on the tail (and assuming some of the length of the tail was hidden), since groundhogs have furry tails. However, looking at it more closely now I see that there is some fur at the base of the tail and that the hind feet aren’t nearly big enough to be a nutria/coypu. It could be a groundhog with a scraggly tail.
It’s much too big to be a muskrat. Muskrats might reach a head + body length of maybe 12-14 inches. Comparing it to the license plate indicates this animal is much bigger.
The tail is hairless, and appears round - hence, nutria. And we’re not seeing the whole tail, so we don’t know how long it is. A bit big for a muskrat, which also have flattened tails, and woodchucks don’t have hairless tails. Also, nutria are a non-native animal which is a serious invasive pest, and I believe Maryland is one of the states that initiated a bounty on them. Which might explain why someone would pick up a dead nutria.
However, nutria have prominent whiskers, which we would see in the photograph if they were present.
I think the feet also look more like a groundhog than a nutria. Nutria have very large webbed hind feet.
I’ll defer to your expertise, obviously. Your last post crossed mine.
It’s tough to see the relevant details in the photo. With a better photo the ID would be easier.
I don’t know what it is, but my filthy dog would attempt to eat it.
Absolutely a groundhog, IMHO. Surprised anyone would think nutria.
It’s a groundhog (woodchuck). I used to intern at a zoo and had lots of exposure to groundhogs, so I say it’s definitely one.
Groundhog/woodchuck, yes. We’ve just spent a couple of weeks with one making an all-you-can-eat salad bar out of our garden. We finally caught it and took it for a ride, releasing it in a more suitable area.
I was the first to say groundhog/woodchuck, but I’m still curious… presumably Astro got a better look at it in person than we are through the photo. Assuming that the OP is local to southern Maryland, how on earth could he not recognize a groundhog for what it was? So my question is (if OP should return): what specific features (size, paws, tail, etc.) made you think this was something more unusual than a groundhog?
I may be overstating the commonness of the groundhog, but I live in southeastern PA and I don’t think a single day goes by that I don’t see MORE than one, dead or alive.
I did not see it in person, I took the pic off a facebook post by a local acquaintance this morning. I was curious as to the identity of the animal.