Capybaras - - the world's largest rodent!

[AlGore-08.com]

http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/Amazonia/Facts/capybarafacts.cfm

Order: Rodentia
Family: Hydrochoeridae
Genus and Species: Hydrochaeris hydrochaeris

Description: Capybaras have heavy, barrel-shaped bodies with short heads. Their fur is reddish brown on the upper parts and yellowish brown underneath. Adult capybaras may be as long as 130 centimeters (more than four feet) and 50 centimeters (1.6 feet) tall, and weigh more than 100 pounds.

Range and Habitat: The capybara is found in Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, the Guyanas and Peru, south through Brazil, Paraguay, northeast Argentina, and Uruguay. Semi-aquatic, they frequent dense vegetation surrounding lakes, rivers, swamps, marshes, and ponds.

Diet: The capybara is a grazing herbivore, eating mainly grasses and aquatic plants.

Behavior: Capybara are highly social and live in groups controlled by a dominant male.

Conservation Status: Capybara populations are considered stable through much of their range, but hunting in some areas has reduced their numbers.

Fun Fact: Capybara dive and may remain underwater for as long as five minutes.

[leftofthedial]

1. No. Dick Cheney is the world's largest rodent

capybaras are amazing though.

[Crazy Guggenheim]

2. Awe they're cute!

[Spinzonner]

3. Here, kitty-kitty

[Radical Activist]

4. There's no such thing.

Its a mythical "rodent." Don't let anyone fool you.

[mark414]

5. i thought that was the ROUS's

[mitchtv]

6. capybaras are cute as the dickens , but I really love

TAPIRS

http://www.tapirback.com/tapirgal/pictures.htm

[Vektor]

7. I saw one at the San Francisco zoo - many years ago...

And the sad thing is, they placed the poor bugger's habitat right across from the lion's cage...those big cats were leering at and drooling over the plump rodent the whole time. if I were him, I'd have been pretty damn uncomfortable.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

17. They're still here!

They've been moved to a new location that is a South America environment, with other critters SA like the tapir. I love the capies ever since I saw them here - I would love to have one in my backyard!

[Vektor]

18. They probably like their new location...

...a lot better than they liked being housed by the big cats! I think they capies are great too. Have they improved the gorilla habitat any? I remember thinking it looked a little lacking - like they didn't have a lot to do, and seemed bored and restless - it was pretty barren. This was about 12-13 years ago, though.

[hfojvt]

8. what about the giant mouse who used to beat up Sylvester? n/t

[AlGore-08.com]

9. Kangaroos are marsupials, not rodents

They only look like eight foot tall rats.

[hfojvt]

11. and the mention of Sylvester did not let you know it was a joke?

Oh, the shame. Now the other kids will say, there's the kid whose father doesn't laugh about the reference to the giant talking cat who gets beat up by a baby kangaroo that looks like a big mouse. How, how can I ever face them?

[AlGore-08.com]

16. Maybe.. I should have... SHATNERED... my response

So that... you COULD see... ... ... it was... ALSO... a... joke. ;)

[hfojvt]

19. I've been Shatnered

my friends, they come around, flatter, flatter, flatter ...

you just need to include an icon, like this
:) or :P or :7 or in case of a home run, this
:rofl: or :spray:

[curse10]

10. I love capybara's!

they are sooo cute!

[noonwitch]

12. Yuck, it even looks like a giant rat

I hate rats. I hate mice. If I see them, I kill them. I haven't seen mice since I got a cat, but sometimes I see rats in Detroit on the road. I speed up, and splat. I will probably stop doing this when I get a new car next week, as I won't want to get it all messy.

[Aiptasia]

13. That's what they feed to big snakes and gators where I live

At a place called alligator adventure:

http://www.alligatoradventure.com/

See Utan feed.. on big frozen rats!

[Reverend_Smitty]

14. they look like giant hamsters

I want one!

[Mutley]

15. it looks like a giant guinea pig!