Don’t worry, be capy.

Did you know that the biggest rodent in the world lives in Brazil? The capybara earned this title because it weighs up to 200 pounds and measures up to 4,2 feet, with around 60 inches of height. Pretty big uh? It’s coated with a short brown fur that varies from reddish to caramel hues, with a robust and muscular body underneath. They’re herbivore mammals and its name actually means ‘grass eater’! In its original portuguese spelling, capivara, the word came from the language of the Tupi-Guarani, one of the biggest and most important native tribes of Brazil.

A Capybara’s natural habitat is made of water, that is: rivers, lakes and, as a last resource, swamps. The water shelters them against natural predators and it’s also used for reproduction. While Capybaras don’t need a hot tub with flowers or candlelights to mate, they do prefer to breed in the rainy season which is around April or May and their mating takes place in the water.

They’ll choose regions with an abundance of food, consisting of certain types of grass, herbs and certain aquatic plants. They prefer to graze at dusk and they move very little during the day, especially if it’s very hot. The capybara is a calm and tame animal when it feels safe, but they’re also territorial, with fights between males to protect their space!

Capybaras stay in groups, usually ranging from 8 to 40 individuals. During the dry season, herds can reach up to 100 animals. In the absence of ideal conditions for the survival of the population, such as if the region where they live presents prolonged dry periods affecting the availability of water, shortages of food and vegetation for shelter, the group will move to other areas.