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Capybara: Giant rat weighing up to 68kg, leisurely among crocodiles thanks to special abilities
Capybara: Giant rat weighing up to 68kg, leisurely among crocodiles thanks to special abilities
What is a capybara? Where is the giant capybara? Let's find out interesting information about capybaras!
Mice are not only small in size, but in fact there is a giant mouse in the world that is extremely friendly and adorable. That is the capybara.
Capybaras are curious creatures. While they may not look like the average street or kitchen cupboard animal, these South American natives are the world's largest rodents. Despite their strange appearance, capybaras have quickly become something of an Internet celebrity—largely because they resemble oversized guinea pigs—but tend to get along well with other animals.
Four capybaras (Jerry, Elaine and George) are among the newest residents to settle in Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary's 'Forgotten Valley'—and visitors can't get enough of them. Here are some fun facts about capybaras you should know:
Capybaras are not only cute in appearance, but they are also considered the "friendliness queen" of the animal world because they love to "socialize" with many other species from birds, cats, monkeys to carnivores like crocodiles.
Capybaras live primarily in South America, especially Brazil, and tend to live in groups of up to dozens. Photo: Cool Green Science.Capybaras are giants, weighing up to 68kg when fully grown, about 60cm tall, and 1.2m long. Unlike other rodents that gnaw and destroy vegetables... causing harm, this species mainly eats grass. Capybaras consider their feces as a source of intestinal flora because bacteria help digest cellulose, which can extract the maximum amount of protein and vitamins in grass. This species of rodent can also regurgitate chewed food again, like cattle. Photo: Fodors.True to its name, these giant rats are particularly fond of water. They are "excellent swimmers", thanks to their webbed feet that help them move easily through water. Guinea pigs can dive and stay underwater for up to 5 minutes. These rodents can even mate or sleep while underwater, keeping only their noses out of the water. Photo: Dreamtime.Being good at swimming helps them escape from wild cats, eagles and anacondas many times. Photo: Brian Lily.With the advantage of giant legs, despite its large size, this rodent can run very fast, up to 9.8 m/s, equivalent to the running speed of a soccer player. With this ability, capybaras will quickly 'escape' when they sense danger. Photo: Stocky.This species of capybara is very friendly, so it is known as the "peace messenger" of the animal world. They never actively attack and live in harmony with all species. They almost never refuse other animals to ride on them, so many people call them "walking chairs". Therefore, animals love to get close to capybaras. Images of birds and monkeys sitting on the backs of guinea pigs are not uncommon. Photo: Flickr.Extremely cute image of capybara playing with cat. Photo: Bored Panda.Even ferocious crocodiles do not scare the capybara. Sometimes, it calmly lies next to the crocodile without worrying about anything. Photo: Sina.
The video shows a capybara leisurely walking to the river bank to drink water amidst hundreds of crocodiles “resting”. In the video, the capybara does not appear to be panicking among these notoriously ferocious predators, but rather appears very relaxed.
Because of their adorable appearance and friendly personality, capybaras are also kept as pets. In Japan, a zoo even bathes them in hot water to attract visitors. Capybaras have an average lifespan of 8-10 years. Photo: Shaboten.
Some more interesting pictures of this giant capybara.