THE WORLD’S LARGEST RODENT

By Terri Estes

Native to South America, the largest rodent in the world, full grown, can weigh over 140lbs. This animal is called a capybara! A full-grown capybara can be larger than a wolf. Imagine coming face to face with this giant rat in the wild.

Actually, the capybara is quite shy and a non-aggressive herbivore in the wild. It is a giant, barrel shaped rodent with light brown fur, short legs, and a big beaver shaped head. They are semi aquatic, meaning they live partly on land and partly in the water. They can hold their breath for up to five minutes under water. Capybaras can be found in marshlands and wet grasslands throughout many parts of South America.

Capybaras are great swimmers and have webbed feet to help them move easily through the water. They have razor sharp teeth for cutting through grass and water plants, which is their main source of nutrition. During the dry season, they will eat seeds, melons and other vegetables. Their biggest threats are jaguars and anacondas, and humans that hunt them for their hides.

Capybaras don’t mind being alone, but in the wild, live in large groups of up to 40. Females usually have one litter per year of four to five pups. The young pups in the group are generally raised by all the mothers in the group and pups will nurse from mother to mother.

Yes, this is a wild animal, but like many other wild animals, people have domesticated capybaras. Apparently, they make great pets and are very trainable. They can live over 12 years in captivity. That is a pretty long life for a rodent.

So, if you are considering bringing a capybara home, be prepared to share your life with a rodent who is bigger and lives longer than most dogs and who will probably take over your pool if you have one, since they love to swim. They also tend to love to cuddle with their humans on the couch and in bed. I’m not sure of their house training issues, but hey, if you are prepared to bring a 100lb rat home, you’ll figure it out!

If you can’t handle it but would like to see one of these creatures up close, go to the Long Island Game Farm in Manorville on Long Island. They offer 20 minute encounters to get up close and feed them.