Everything you wanted to know about the world's largest rodent
Capybaras are the world's largest living rodents. Adults typically weigh between 35–66 kg (77–145 lbs) and measure up to 1.2 meters in length. Despite their bulk, they are surprisingly agile both on land and in water.
Capybaras are excellent swimmers and can stay submerged for up to 5 minutes. Their slightly webbed feet make them strong paddlers. They often sleep in water to stay cool and escape predators.
They are strict herbivores, feeding mainly on grasses, aquatic plants, fruit, and tree bark. A capybara eats around 3–4 kg of fresh grass daily. They also practice coprophagy — eating their own droppings to extract extra nutrients.
Capybaras are found throughout most of South America east of the Andes — from Colombia and Venezuela down to Argentina. They thrive in savannas and dense forests near bodies of water such as rivers, lakes, and swamps.
Capybaras live in groups of 10–20 individuals, sometimes forming temporary aggregations of 100 or more near water sources during dry season. They communicate through barks, whistles, clicks, and purrs.
Perhaps their most famous trait: capybaras get along with virtually every other animal. Photos and videos regularly show them relaxing alongside birds, monkeys, cats, dogs, crocodiles, and even jaguars. Their calm temperament appears to disarm potential threats.
Females give birth to litters of 2–8 pups, and the whole group shares childcare duties. Pups are precocial — born with eyes open, able to run and swim within hours. The entire group nurses and watches over all young.
Capybaras show problem-solving abilities and can be trained. They have excellent spatial memory and learn quickly from other group members. In some regions of Brazil they are kept as pets and exhibit dog-like behaviour with their owners.