Page 21 - World of Animals - Issue #41

The world’s largest rodent

Native to South America's marshlands, capybaras are They can control as much as 20 hectares (50 acres) of BELOW These sociable animals live
ponderous, laid-back animals that are as large as sheep, land, using it for food, water and shelter. Capybaras are in groups, but their numbers have
behave similarly to the hippopotamus, and are often picky eaters as they are selective about the plants they declined recently due to hunting
mistaken for wild boars. These magnificent creatures consume. They are also creatures of habit, dozing in

are actually the world's largest living rodents, weighing specific resting areas.
up to 66.2 kilograms (146 pounds). They live in small Increasingly (and controversially), capybaras are being
groups and can typically be found wallowing in mud or used as pets; owners love their cute barrel-shaped body,
submerged deep in water. short head and reddish-brown to yellowish-brown fur.
Capybaras are sometimes referred to as nature's This has resulted in them being introduced to areas

chairs, as they allow other animals to sit on them without far from their natural habitats in the floodplains of the
flinching. By nature they are docile creatures that shy subtropics and tropics, with some now spotted roaming

away from conflict. Instead of force, they use strength as far away as Florida. In such areas, they are considered
in numbers for protection and to mark their territory. pests, but as we'll see, they are much more than that.
“They can control as much as 20 hectares (50 acres) of
land, using it for food, water and shelter”

21

020-024_Capybara Worlds largest rodent.indd 21 30/11/2016 17:07