I was trying to decide on what to write about this weekend. Then, I remembered mentioning one of my favorite animals last week. The jaguar loves eating these guys, which isn’t the reason I love them. They’re just so cute and, to a kid, they look like they can be ridden. I mean, who wouldn’t want to ride a capybara?
A capybara is the world’s largest rodent. They live in South America and are not endangered. There is no threat to their population, so I don’t have any ‘doom and gloom’ to share this time. Instead, I’ll just post some fun facts and then get to the cuteness:
- An adult capybara can weigh as much as an adult human.
- There is a smaller ‘species’ called the lesser capybara, but people still debate if it’s a species or subspecies.
- Capybara have webbed feet because they are semi-aquatic.
- They can stay underwater for up to 5 minutes.
- Sometimes, they will sleep underwater with their noses above the surface.
- On land, a capybara can run as fast as a horse. They need that for a fighting chance against jaguars, crocodiles, anacondas, and other predators.
- Capybara have a very large and complex vocalization system. They can purr, bark, cackle, whistle, squeal, whine, grunt, and even chatter their teeth.
- Other animals will perch on top of a capybara, who doesn’t care. Birds, monkeys, rabbits, and other capybara have been seen using ‘nature’s ottoman’.
- They live in herds that can be 10-20 individuals, but sometimes gather in groups of around 100.
- They are closely related to guinea pigs and rock cavies.
- Capybara can be picky eaters and will stick to one type of grass while ignoring all others.
- Similar to humans, they cannot produce Vitamin C, so they need to eat foods with it. This also means they can get scurvy.
- Capybara will eat their own poop because it contains bacteria that helps them digest cellulose in plants.
- Capybara are hunted for meat and hide, but there are also some capybara farms.
Let’s get to the pictures and videos:
Legends of Windemere 
They always seem to keep things casual, considering everything eats them.
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Due to their size, I think they only have to worry about larger predators. They live in groups too, so they relax with one or two standing guard.
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The babies are so cute!
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I read that some people have capybara as pets. I can see why.
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These guys look very laid back and happy. Thanks, Charles.
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You’re welcome.
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😊
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Reblogged this on Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog.
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Thanks for sharing.
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My pleasure, Charles 😃
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They are so fascinating, I think I only heard about them in recent times, though we had guinea pigs as pets.
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I learned about them because of the nature shows I watched as a kid. I have a few friends who thought they were actually guinea pigs that ate too much.
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Reblogged this on NEW BLOG HERE >> https:/BOOKS.ESLARN-NET.DE.
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Thanks for sharing.
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My pleasure! xx Michael 🙂
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They are looking so cute. But a whole herd would be too much for our neighbors, i think. Lol Thanks for sharing this great information, Charles! Have a beautiful week! xx Michael
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A herd would be crazy in this area. Goodbye lawns.
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That’s true. Sorry, i forgot that rodents are not only eating what they get presented as food. 😉 xx Michael
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Only thing worse would be an army of goats.
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