Capybara :: essays research papers

Capybara      The capybara is the largest rodent in the world. The capybaras name comes from the native people of southbound America. It means "master of the grass." The scientific name of the capybara is hydrochoerus hydrochaeris, which means "water pig" in Greek. Capybaras name been in existence since the Pleistocene epoch. Their ancient ancestors were rodents that lived about threescore million years ago. The average size of a capybara is quad feet in length and two feet in height. This is about the size of a sheep. Capybaras usually weigh between sixty and sensation hundred and cardinal pounds. M any(prenominal) people think the capybara looks like a big version of a guinea pig. All capybaras have large flatbed noses, webbed feet, short legs, and no tail. Their fur is very coarse and it is usually a reddish-brown color. Capybaras excessively have large incisor teeth that constantly grow. Capybaras must constantly gnaw and chew on wo od and roughened to wear their teeth down. To protect themselves from the hot sun, capybaras will often lodge in in nearby pools of water. They will also be found finesse mud or in the shade.     Capybaras are found in South American countries such as Brazil and Venezuela. They are well adapt for living on land and in the water. Herds of capybaras, consisting of twenty or much capybaras, live on the grasslands and near riverbanks, or in swamps and marshes. Capybaras are herbivores whose briny diet is water plants and grasses. Occasionally a capybara will also eat leaves, seeds and the bark of young trees. Because they are herbivores, they do not have any distinctive hunting habits.          Capybaras are shy creatures that dont interact with other animals on a frequent basis. They are level-headed but quiet and they rarely fight each other, or their enemies. inwardly a move of capybaras, there is one dominant male w ho keeps the herd in order. He also defends the herd from intruding animals. Capybaras reproduce sexually by mating in shallow water. They can mate during any time of the year but capybaras most often mate during the initiation of the rainy season. A female capybara typically gives birth from one to eight babies. A baffle capybara is born with fur and its eyes open. The babies can eat grass just like the grownup capybaras and they can take care of themselves much better than most baby mammals. However, baby capybaras drink their bring forths milk and stay with their mother for at least four months after their birth.