a giant rodent

Imagine a rodent the size of a Labrador retriever, with front teeth that never stop growing and thick fur like strands of wire: it’s the capybara! The world’s largest rodent. This peculiar animal lives in the lakes, rivers or mangroves of South America and sleeps in the thick vegetation of these areas.

The capybara, also known as the capybara or capybara, lives in groups of 10 to 30 individuals. Their communication consists of sounds similar to barks, roars and even whistles. Each group is led by a male, while the care of the young is entrusted to the females of the community.

Fun facts

• To escape from its enemies, the capybara runs to the nearest water source and stays under it for up to five minutes. When it thinks it is out of danger, it comes to the surface, revealing only its eyes, ears and nose, thus remaining hidden from its predators.
• The capybara has short legs with webbed fingers, that is, a membrane that joins its 4 fingers. This membrane acts like the oars on a boat, allowing them to swim more efficiently,
• The female capybara has 4 to 8 young which she hides from predators such as the jaguar, puma or alligator. The other females in the group help raise the young.
• Despite its thick fur, the capybara’s skin is exposed to the sun. To protect its skin, the capybara smears itself with mud.
• At the age of one year, the capybara is an adult, which means that it can feed and take care of itself.
• Capybaras are herbivores, their diet consisting of herbs, plants, and aquatics, as well as fruits, berries, and tree bark.