Facts about Capybaras
Capybara is the largest living rodent in the world. It is also known as capibara, chigüire in Venezuela, chigüiro, and carpincho in Spanish, and capivara in Portuguese. Its common name is derived from Kapiÿva in the Guarani language which means "master of the grasses". Its scientific name(hydrochaeris) is derived from a Greek word meaning "water hog". Capybaras are excellent swimmers and can survive completely underwater for up to five minutes, an ability they will use to evade predators. If necessary, a Capybara can sleep underwater, keeping its nose just at the waterline. Anacondas are its natural predators. They reach sexual maturity at about 22 months after their birth. Capybaras have 20 teeth. They have slightly webbed feet. Their gestation period is 130 to 150 days. Adult capybaras may grow to 130 centimetres (4.3 ft), and weigh up to 65 kg (140 lb). They don't have a tail. Size of their litter is normally four capybara babies but litter size ranges from two to eight babies. Capybaras have heavy, barrel-shaped bodies and short heads with reddish-brown fur on the upper part of their body that turns yellowish-brown underneath. Female capybaras are slightly heavier than males. Capybaras are social animals, usually found in groups, between 10 and 30 (though larger groups of up to 100 sometimes can be formed). These groups are controlled by a dominant male. |
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