Capybara

 

b

Ok how many of you know what the largest rodent in the world I is thought it was the beaver, but I was wrong.

It is in fact the capybara they look like giant guinea pigs.

They are from South America, where they live both in dense forests and savannas, typically near bodies of water. They are well known inhabitants of the Amazon, where they can be spotted on river edges.

They are herbivores, munching on grasses and aquatic plants, fruit and tree bark. They will tend to focus all their efforts on one species of grass, avoiding any other species around it. They also eat their faeces; they do this as their faeces contains bacteria which helps them to digest cellulose in plant matter.

They are also semi-aquatic and are well-adapted for both land and water. They have webbed toes and fast drying fur, but they can also run at 35km/h on land.

They are highly social, with groups potentially as big as 100 members, however the average group size is 10-20 individuals. They live for 8-10 years.

The biggest Capybara ever recorded was 91kg (201lb)! However, they are generally 106-134cm in length and usually weigh 35 – 66kg, similar to a small dog.

They will submerge themselves underwater for a nap, leaving their noses out on the edges of riverbanks so they can breathe

Capybaras are so chill about other animals sitting on them, that they’ve been called “moving chairs”. Birds, rabbits and even monkeys have been spotted taking a ride. Often birds will eat small insects from their fur.