August 18, 2016

At about 4 feet long and around 100 pounds, the capybara is the largest rodent in the world. Native to South America, they live in densely forested areas near bodies of water, such as lakes, rivers, swamps, ponds, and marshes. 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. The capybara is not a threatened species and is hunted for its meat and hide and also for a grease from its thick fatty skin which is used in the pharmaceutical trade.