Capybara

Capybaras look like guinea pigs that drank a growth potion — they're the largest rodents on Earth. They lounge in groups by rivers, swim like pros, and are famously relaxed: other animals literally sit on them.

Capybaras live along rivers, lakes and marshes across South America, and they are the largest rodents on Earth — a big one weighs as much as a large dog. They look like giant guinea pigs, which makes sense, because guinea pigs are their close relatives. A capybara is built for a life half in the water: its toes are partly webbed, its coarse fur dries fast, and its eyes, ears and nostrils sit on top of its head so it can float almost fully hidden with just the top of its face showing.

Capybaras are grazers, eating grasses and water plants for hours at a time, mostly in the morning and evening. Like rabbits and guinea pigs, they digest their food twice, eating some of their own droppings to get every last bit of goodness from tough grass. When danger comes — a jaguar, a caiman, an anaconda — a capybara gives a bark of alarm and the whole group plunges into the water, where it can hold its breath for around 5 minutes and swim away.

Capybaras live in friendly groups of 10 to 20, and in the dry season, when water is scarce, groups can swell to 100 animals around the last pools. A dominant male watches over the group, and the females raise their young together — a baby capybara will nurse from any mother in the herd. They are famous for their calm: birds, monkeys and even turtles sit on them, and capybaras simply let them. Capybaras are listed as least concern and are doing well across most of their range.

Here is every capybara fact from this page and the capybara quiz in one list — handy for a school project or a car-ride quiz.

1. Capybaras are the world's largest rodents — up to 150 lb.
2. They can hold their breath underwater for about 5 minutes.
3. Their eyes, ears, and nose sit on top of their head so they can hide almost fully underwater.
4. Capybaras are famously chill — birds and monkeys ride on them like a bus.
5. They live in friendly groups of 10–20 (sometimes up to 100 in the dry season).
6. Capybaras are listed as Least Concern, so they are doing well in the wild.

❓ Common questions about capybaras

No — capybaras are wild animals that belong in the wild, and keeping one would be unsafe and almost always illegal. But if capybaras are your favorite, here's the closest pet you actually can welcome home:

Meet the Guinea PigBecause a capybara is basically a giant guinea pig — and a guinea pig gives you the same gentle, chatty charm in a pet-sized package. See care guide →

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