Nutria sporrans?

[auld argonian]

I guess "like beaver or otter" sounds better than Giant Swamp Rat, but that's what they are! You would not want one for a pet.

Oh, I've had rats for pets and they've been fantastic.

But those pet store rats are, as someone once said, as far away from wild rats as dogs are from coyotes. I understand that these are way-far from being anywhere near domesticated...being aquatic, I wouldn't want to share the bathtub with one anyway.

Best

AA

[beerbecue]

http://www.bagpipesdirect.co.uk/sporran10.html

[thescot]

Holy smokes!

Those nutria sporrans even look like rats!

You know, in south Loiuisiana, they eat those things. The rats, not the sporrans.

[Tattoo Bradley]

I think they'd make a neat "neo mask" sporran as well.

[MacWage]

I guess "like beaver or otter" sounds better than Giant Swamp Rat, but that's what they are! You would not want one for a pet.

A Rodant of Unusual Size would make a GREAT sporran. I almost got one when I bought my skunk pelt. BUT I figured I'd finish the skunk before I got TOO ambitious with SO many projects concurrent!

I'd go for it!!!!

[MacWage]

I think they'd make a neat "neo mask" sporran as well.

Define "neo mask" for me, please. I'm not sure what a "Neo" mask is as opposed to the normal mask sporran:confused:

[neo71665]

You know, in south Loiuisiana, they eat those things. The rats, not the sporrans.

They don't taste half bad if cooked right.

[Tartan Hiker]

There aren't many Louisianans, cajun or otherwise, that would eat a nutria. Back when I worked for Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries alligator farms were buying nutria carcasses from trappers to feed their livestock. More recently there has been an attempt to establish trade in frozen nutria carcasses for markets in Asia, but I don't know the current statistics, or whether that is even still being done.

Those not familiar with south Louisiana often have the idea that the people there are primitive, uncivilized, and vulgar. Nothing could be farther from the truth. I agree that crayfish and other "cajun" delicacies are a bit different from the usual American fare, but don't jump to the conclusion that "they'll eat anything down there."

Come to think of it, I've seen nutria meat, and it doesn't look half bad. I've just never been hungry enough to try it myself.

As for the fur, it is more coarse than that of most American furbearers. If tanned correctly, and shaved like most beaver pelts are, it would make a lovely and very durable sporran.

Bill
North Carolinian by birth, surrogate coonass by marriage

[SouthernScot]

I grew up in south Louisiana. There are people that eat Nutria, but it never really took off as a cuisine. I've tried it and it doesn't taste that bad, its just that people can't stomach the idea of eating a rat. It does look like a small round tailed beaver, but then again, beavers are also related to rats.

When I lived there, I used to take my kids to the lake to feed the ducks. The Nutria there were so tame they would come up and take bread right from your hand.

Scot

[SingleBarrelBourbon]

SouthernScot,

Where in Louisiana. I grew up about 15 miles from Hammond.

Sorry to hijack the thread.