The world of capybaras: the giant rodent that weighs as much as a full-grown wolf

Unless you’ve lived under a rock for the last few years, you’ve certainly seen videos of capybaras happily enjoying a bath. 

Adored by the crowds and protagonists of many viral memes, videos of sleepy capybaras enjoying a hot bath surrounded by tangerines and lemons are on every social platform. 

The algorithm loves them, and so do we.

These large semi-aquatic mammals are the equivalent of social media royalty, but few people know that they are also record holders – specifically, the largest rodent on earth.

Also known by the scientific name Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris or "greater capybara" (as opposite of the lesser capybara, or Hydrochoerus isthmius), these huge rodents are native to Central and South America and can easily reach the size of a Labrador dog.

They are mostly found in the Paraná and Uruguay river basins and swamp regions of South America such as the Pantanal (the world's largest wetland).

With an unparalleled claim to the title of biggest rodent in the world, these animals present short brown fur and can reach up to 1–1.3 m (3 ft 3 in–4 ft 3 in) with their head and body length. 

A capybara can be twice as big as a beaver, the second-biggest rodent on earth!

The average specimen weighs between 50–60 kg (110 lb 3 oz–132 lb 4 oz); the equivalent of a full-grown wolf or an adult human, and often surpasses that weight. 

Female specimens also tend to grow slightly bigger than males, with one exceptional lady capybara apparently reaching 91 kg (201 lb) while living in Brazil.

Fully equipped for aquatic life, these rodents flaunt brittle fur and webbed feet to splash around. 

In fact, they are great swimmers and spend a lot of their lives in the water.

Their eyes and nostrils are also positioned on the top of their heads, which allows them to stay submerged (and safely hidden from predators) for long periods of time. 

Surviving in the wild is tough. 

Despite their size, these herbivores seek refuge in the water to elude threats such as jaguars and boa constrictors – though, in the water, they need to keep an eye out for caimans! 

The capybara's life is far from easy, with their cubs being a target to many predators and with an average lifespan of up to seven years (a life expectancy that grows to 10 in captivity).

They are also hunted by humans, and their habitat is threatened by deforestation.

Capybaras are generally gregarious animals that love company, so it's easy to find big groups of the adorable mega rodents either grazing, napping or enjoying the sunshine close to water sources. 

Normally their herds span between 10 and 20 individuals. 

However, the numbers go up during the dry season, when capybaras assemble around wetlands and water sources: then, they can live comfortably in big groups of over 40 individuals.

They are herbivores and love to feast on grass and aquatic plants, and won't say no to veggies and fruit.

Do capybaras eat their own poo?

The answer is: yes. They do. 

Although the news might crush the dreams of every capybara-lover, capybaras eat their waste in the morning (just like many other rodents, by the way, like rats and guinea pigs!). 

Grass is notoriously hard to digest, and the unlikely breakfast allows them to re-assimilate and put to use the high number of microbes digesting the previous day’s meals.  

Coprophagy, or eating faeces, helps capybaras properly break down and digest the fibres of their meals.

“It's thought to be a mechanism to get all the nutrients; animals can't digest grass very well, so to get all the nutrients out of it, they eat it twice,” explains scientist Elizabeth Congdon to The Verge. 

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