NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Louisiana wildlife officials are upping the price they'll pay hunters who catch a large aquatic rodent known for harming marsh ecosystems.
 
Louisiana's Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has increased the bounty from $5 to $6 after fewer Nutrias have been caught than in the past. Nutrias are webbed-toed, buck-toothed rodents that are in between the size of muskrats and beavers.
 
They're known for nibbling on tree roots and causing erosion and damage to marshes. The Times Picayune/ The New Orleans Advocate reports this damage has been increasing in recent years and affecting southeastern Louisiana most.
 
Officials hope the greater sum will encourage more hunters to kill Nutrias during the 2019-20 season. All they have to do is bring the tails in as proof to cash in.