The South American capybara is the biggest rodent in the world, and can reach lengths of up to four feet.
They’ve been compared to a guinea pig, a small boar, and have been nicknamed “water pigs.” We think they look more like a mutated rabbit, actually.
The capybara is also known as carpincho in Spanish, capivara in Portuguese, and is a relative of guinea pigs.
Its scientific name, Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris, is Greek for “water hog”, and capybara, which comes from Kapiÿva in the Guarani language, means “master of the grasses”.
There once was a much larger capybara called Neochoerus pinckneyi, but it is now extinct.
Capybaras are occasionally kept as pets, and are also hunted for their hide and meat, which is said to taste like pork.
Either way, they make a good meal for animals like the local alligator, the jaguar, and some humans who considered it a delicacy, especially when served with rice.
The beaver is the second largest rodent in the world.