ANIMALS

The capybara is the largest living rodent, native to South America. The capybara inhabits savannas and dense forests, and lives near bodies of water. It is a highly social species and can be found in groups as large as one hundred individuals, but usually live in groups of 10–20 individuals. The capybara has a heavy, barrel-shaped body and short head, with reddish-brown fur on the upper part of its body that turns yellowish-brown underneath. Adult capybaras grow to 106 to 134 cm (3.48 to 4.40 ft) in length, stand 50 to 62 cm (20 to 24 in) tall at the shoulder. They typically weigh 35 to 66 kg (77 to 146 lb). The record weight for a capybara is 91kg (201lbs). Capybaras are herbivores, grazing mainly on grasses and aquatic plants, as well as fruit and tree bark. Capybaras eat their own feces as a source of bacterial gut flora, to help digest the cellulose in the grass that forms their normal diet, and to extract the maximum protein and vitamins from their food. Their teeth grow continuously to compensate for the wear produced by grinding as they chew their food. The maximum lifespan of the capybara is 8 to 10 years, but in the wild capybaras usually do not live longer than four years because of predation from South American big cats such as jaguars and cougars and from harpy eagles, caimans, green anacondas and piranhas. Baby capybara are milk-bandits, suckling from any lactating female in the herd. These capybaras were filmed in the wilds of the Pantanal in Brazil. They are one of the world's most beloved animals.