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The capybara [a] or greater capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) is the largest living rodent, [2] native to South America. It is a member of the genus Hydrochoerus . The only other extant member is the lesser capybara ( Hydrochoerus isthmius ).
As of 2021, the American Society of Mammalogists has recognized 2,277 different species of rodents, making up 35% to 40% of all mammal species on the planet, depending on which authority you talk to.
The genus Hydrochoerus contains two living and three extinct species of rodents from South America, the Caribbean island of Grenada, California and Panama. [1] Capybaras are the largest living rodents in the world. The genus name is derived from the Greek ὕδωρ (hýdor) ' water ' plus χοίρος (choíros) ' pig '.
The dental formula is similar to that of various other rodents: 1.0.1.3 1.0.1.3. Females give birth to two or three furred and active young after a gestation period of 50 to 90 days in most species, or 150 days in the capybara. In most species, they are sexually mature within a few months of birth, although in capybaras, maturity is not reached ...
Capybaras are semi-aquatic mammals. So they spend their days in the water and on land. In the wild, they can be found roaming the grasses around swamps, marshes, ponds, lakes, and rivers.
What Is a Capybara? The scientific name of the capybara, Hydrochoerus, may mean “water pig” but they are actually rodents—the largest rodent in the world. A close look at their face reveals ...
The taxonomy of Hydrochoerinae is confused because, until 2005, living capybaras and their extinct relatives were placed in their own family, Hydrochoeridae. [1] Recent molecular phylogenetic studies recognize a close relationship between Hydrochoerus and Kerodon , [ 2 ] supporting placement of both genera in a subfamily of Caviidae . [ 3 ]
These delightful creatures are called capybaras. Heralded as the world's largest rodents, the South American rainforest natives can actually weigh as much as a full grown man.