Capybaras Are the World’s Largest Rodents

by Delia Moreno, age 7

Capybaras are the largest rodents in the world. They can be found in Southern and Central America inside rainforests and near ponds, rivers, and lakes.

Capybaras are semi-aquatic animals. They grow up to 1.5 feet tall by the shoulder, 4 feet in length, and weigh around 75-150 lbs. Water is important to capybaras because it helps them hide from predators such as jaguars, anacondas, caimans, pumas, and ocelots. Their webbed feet help them move and relocate easily in the water. They eat grass and aquatic plants. Capybaras also eat their droppings, which is an activity called coprophagy.

They live in small groups of about 10-20 capybaras. The dominant male has several advantages, such as staying in the middle of the herd while subordinate males guard the perimeter. He also mates with all the females in the group. Baby capybaras take five months to grow. Capybaras have four to five pups at a time. They are fed by all the mothers in the group, and they are bad swimmers at first, which means they have to hide from predators.

Capybaras are not at risk of extinction. But in some places their numbers dwindled because many people hunted them for their meat and skin. Their numbers stabilized because of hunting regulations.

[Source: Animal Fact Guide]