First evidence of plastics in coypu (Myocastor coypus)'s platforms.

ABSTRACT

Platforms are structures built by coypus for various purposes, such as reproduction, resting, and thermoregulation. In a coastal wetland of central Italy, during a study aimed at investigating the characteristics of coypu's platforms, it was recorded, for the first time worldwide, the presence of plastic in these structures. Through a transect survey, we censused 83 platforms, among which three (3.61%) were found with presence of macro- and megaplastics (polystyrene, polypropylene, and low-density polyethylene in film form; polyester, polyamide, and expanded polystyrene in fragments). Through the FTIR spectra, it was possible to highlight the degradation of the polymeric materials. To stimulate possible in-depth investigations at the level of the food chain (e.g., coypu predators, including canids) in wet habitats, we discussed possible causes and implications of plastic presence in coypus' nest structures.