CAPYBARA
Noun. Early 17th century.
[Spanish capibara or Portuguese capivara, from Tupi capiuára, from capi grass + uára eater.]
A large tailless river-dwelling rodent, Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris,
of Central and S. America, resembling a guinea-pig.
On a trip to Spain in 2012, my daughter and I visited the CosmoCaixa science museum in Barcelona. One of the highlights of the museum is an indoor flooded forest displaying a variety of plants and animals that can be seen both above and below the waterline. The creature that most caught our eye was one like no other I had ever seen - it looked rather like an enormous hamster, with coarse brown hair and an angular but rather appealing face. It was about the size of a medium-sized dog, and it lazed quite happily at the water's edge in the company of a badling of ducks. There was no sign to tell me what it was, so I was unable to answer my daughter's incessant questions about what it was called, what it ate, was it dangerous, could it swim, etc, etc. I took the photo above, returned to Ireland, and it was only on showing it to a friend from South America that I learnt what this strange creature is: a capybara, the largest rodent in the world. And guess what? It's a rather interesting creature indeed ...
![]() |
Photo by Miguel Ortiz |
Have you ever seen a capybara?
Do you own a capybara?
Would you like to own a capybara?
Would you like to own a capybara?
Do please cap your bara in the comment box below.
I learn something new every day. :)
ReplyDeleteThis was completely new to me when I first saw it in Spain, Evi. They're oddly captivating - we just stood looking at it for ages, trying to work out what it was.
DeleteAfter seeing pictures of these in a book, my daughter wanted one when she was little.
ReplyDeleteShe got a guinea pig! :)
I had a guinea pig when I a wee lad, Jingles. His name was Tom, he was black and very handsome. Perhaps that's why I was so taken with the capybara ... ?
DeleteMy kid's piggy was called Flash - cos he could move like a flash of lightning!
DeleteI've always been fascinated with the capybara simply because of its sheer size!
Thank goodness mice don't get that big! :)
Oh my word, look at that glorious guinea pig dog! It's amazing! It's gorgeous! And it likes to go for walkies? That's it, I no longer want an orange tomcat. I need a capybara.
ReplyDeleteAqui na minha cidade tem aos montes,nas calçadas na beira do rio no centro da cidade,num clube que fica numa ilhota,debaixo das pontes.Venham buscar algumas.Barra Mansa-RJ-Brasil
ReplyDelete