
The coypu in the Ardèche
The presence of the coypu in the Ardèche is well documented, and it is a fairly common sight along riverbanks, particularly upstream and in the Ardèche gorges.

Origin of the coypu
The coypu is a mammal native to South America, introduced to Europe in the 19th century for its fur. All the individuals present in Europe come from escapes or voluntary releases. The coypu can be recognised by its four large, reddish-orange incisors.
Distinguishing beaver from coypu
The beaver is distinguished by its broad, flat, bright orange tail, while the coypu has a round, tapering tail. In terms of size, the beaver can weigh up to 30 kg, while the coypu reaches around 10 kg. The beaver’s incisors are particularly visible and orange, while the coypu’s are paler. The beaver builds dams and lodges using natural materials, while the coypu digs burrows for shelter. Unlike the coypu, the beaver ‘s hind legs are webbed for better adaptation to swimming. In the wild, the coypu prefers stagnant water and marshes, while the beaver is more at home in rivers and wooded areas. The coypu is an opportunistic herbivore, while the beaver specialises in felling trees for food.
Spread of the coypu
It is now present in over 70 départements, including the Ardèche, some 15km upstream from the gorges. The coypu is an animal that likes to live in freshwater aquatic environments. It digs a 6 to 7 m burrow along the banks. This burrow generally has several entrances, one of which is underwater. They sometimes use burrows already dug by muskrats, with which they sometimes compete. It can also build huts of foliage.
The coypu in the Gorges de l’Ardèche
From the Mas de la Fontenette, our gite with heated swimming pool, we descend to the bottom of the Ardèche gorges where the presence of the beaver is attested by numerous traces such as the typical cut trees. So is the presence of the ragondin, although the two species compete with each other to some extent.