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COYPU

Online Encyclopedia

Originally appearing in Volume V07, Page 355 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.

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COYPU , the native name of a large See also:

South See also:

AMERICAN

American aquatic rodent mammal, known very generally among See also:

EUROPEAN

European residents in the See also:

COUNTRY (from the Mid. Eng. contre or contrie, and O. Fr. cuntree; Late Lat. contrata, showing the derivation from contra, opposite, over against, thus the tract of land which fronts the sight, cf. Ger. Gegend, neighbourhood)

country as See also:

NUTRIA

nutria (the See also:

SPANISH

Spanish word for See also:

otter) and scientifically as Myocastor (or Myopotamus) coypu. Its large See also:

SIZE

size, aquatic habits, partially webbed See also:

HIND

hind-toes, and the smooth, broad, See also:

orange-coloured incisors, are sufficient to distinguish this rodent from the other members of the See also:

FAMILY

family Capromyidae. Coypu are abundant in the fresh See also:

WATERS, TERRITORIAL

waters of South See also:

AMERICA

America, even small ponds being often tenanted by one or more pairs. Should the See also:

WATER

water dry up, the coypu seek fresh homes. Although subsisting to a considerable extent on aquatic See also:

PLANTS

plants, these rodents frequently come ashore to feed, especially in the evening. Several See also:

young are produced at a See also:

BIRTH (a word common in various forms to Teutonic languages from the root of the verb " to bear ")

birth, which are carried on their See also:

MOTHER

mother's back when See also:

SWIMMING (from " swim," A.S. swimman, the root being common in Teutonic languages)

swimming. The See also:

FUR (connected with O. Fr. forre, a sheath or case; so " an outer covering ")

fur is of some commercial value, although rather stiff and harsh; its See also:

COLOUR (Lat. color, connected with celare, to hide, the root meaning, therefore, being that of a covering)

colour being reddish-See also:

End of Article: COYPU

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