How high a fence can the nutria (Myocastor coypus) climb? – Climbing test of an anti-intrusion fence

Yuji TAKENOSHITA, Ayaka YANAGIHARA, Michihiro YAGAMI, Shuji KOBAYASHI

We tested the height of fences that the nutria (Myocastor coypus) can climb when attempting to enter a farm field. The subject animals were four adult nutrias (two males and two females) from
Akaiwa City, Okayama Prefecture, kept at Okayama University of Science. We performed repeated
fence-climbing experiments on these animals and found that when the fences were fixed to the posts,
the animals could climb heights approximately 1.5 times the body length. As the body length of the
nutria is usually 50–60 cm, a fence with a height of approximately 90 cm is necessary in the field to
prevent invasion. However, if the top of the fence is left unfixed, it warps when the nutria attempts
to climb it and put their weight on it; the animals fail to climb over even a 60-cm-high fence. In this
case, the width of the unfastened part is essential, and leaving approximately 15 cm unfastened was
effective.

Naturalistae

Nature Fieldwork Center, Okayama University of Science

27

1

6

http://www1.ous.ac.jp/garden/kenkyuhoukoku/27/Naturalistae-2023-1-6.pdf