Print

Capybara

• 
  Animal class: Mammals – (They are warm-blooded (the body temperature stays about the same temperature without help from the sun), breathe air with lungs, have a four-chamber heart, have three bones in their inner ears, have vertebrae (a backbone or spine), have hair or fur (even whales and dolphins have some hair near their mouths), almost all species have a live birth, but two species lay eggs (the platypus and the echidna), all females produce (their bodies make) milk for their young, most have four legs or for humans, two arms and two legs, sizes range from the Bumblebee bat at 1 in (3 cm) to the Blue whale at 100 ft (30 m)) (Examples: Whales, people, dogs, and elephants. There are about 6,500 different species.)
• Diet: Herbivore (They only eat plants)– They eat 6-8 lbs. (3-4 kg) of grass a day, sugar cane, and tree bark. They also eat their poop in the morning (this helps them digest their food better).
• Lifespan: Up to 7 years
• Predators: Snakes, jaguars, eagles, and piranha
• Size: 4.6 ft (140 cm) tall and up to 2 ft (60 cm) high at shoulders
• Species: There are two different species
• Speed: 21 mph (34 kph)
• Status: Least Concern
• Weight: 77–143 lbs. (35-64 kg)
• Where do they live?: They live in Central and South America by water (rivers and streams).
• The largest rodent in the world (other rodents-mice, squirrels, and porcupines).
• They are fantastic swimmers and love to be in the water. They will even sleep with their bodies under the water with only their nose above the water.
• They have partially webbed feet, which helps them be great swimmers.
• They can hold their breath for about 5 minutes underwater while diving to find plants to eat.
• They are most active at dusk.
• Some people have them as pets.
• Since they are very social animals, they will make friends with different species, and sometimes, these animals will sit or lay on the backs of capybaras.