“Nutria once lived only in southern South America, but they have been domesticated as fur animals and transplanted around the world. In many areas, including Canada and more than a dozen U.S. states, fur farm escapees quickly establish large wild populations near their new homes.”
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife issued a warning this week about an influx of large, semi-aquatic rodents that have been caught reproducing within the San Joaquin Valley.
Nutria (or Myocastor coypus) fall somewhere between a beaver and a groundhog and are much larger than a muskrat (up to five times larger, according tot CDFW). They can grow to more than 2 feet long, not counting the 12-inch tail, and up to 20 pounds.
This is a problem because the animal can cause major wildlife destruction – ruining 10 times the vegetation they consume, according to CDFW. They also burrow in dikes, levees and road beds, according to California Fish and Wildlife spokesperson Peter Tira.
What happened to a contestant in a hot-pepper-eating contest may give spicy food aficionados one more reason to “fear the reaper,” according to a recent case report.
World’s Hottest: The ‘Carolina Reaper’ Pepper flips all challengers the “Bird”
The 34-year-old man, who was not identified, experienced a series of intense headaches and dry heaving after eating a Carolina Reaper, reportedly the hottest pepper in the world, during the contest in New York.
The man developed excruciating pain in his head and neck, prompting him to go to an emergency room, according to an article published Monday in the journal BMJ Case Reports. “The patient ate the pepper and immediately starting having a severe headache that started in the back of the head and spread all over within two seconds,” said Dr. Kulothungan
A judge ruled that Starbucks and other coffee sellers in California must provide a cancer warning on their products for customers.
A nonprofit group sued several companies that sell coffee, including Starbucks, coffee distributors and retailers in 2010.
The lawsuit claimed those companies violated state law, which requires them to warn consumers about chemicals in the roasting process that may cause cancer. One of those chemicals is acrylamide, which is a carcinogen.
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and transplanted around the world. In many areas, including Canada and more than a dozen U.S. states, fur farm escapees quickly establish large wild populations near their new homes.”the San Joaquin Valley.
