I remember when I was a kid, I really wanted a hampster.  I believe my parents made a deal with my brother and I at the time.  They said if my brother managed to get an A in one of his classes that we would get a brand new hampster.  Apparently my parents realized this was a safe deal because we never did get a hamster! I thought of this because I find that the Capybara looks like a really big hamster.

The capybara is the largest rodent weighing in at around 65 kg (140 lb) with a length of about 1.3 m (4.3 ‘).  I say this is the largest rodent but I wouldn’t be surprised if New York had some rats in the same weight class.  They feed mostly on grasses and underwater vegetation. You read that right, they feed on underwater vegetation.  In fact the capybara can stay underwater for 5 minutes without needing oxygen.  They have also been known to sleep underwater with their nose just slightly protruding from the water.  As well, they have evolved slightly webbed feet, which obviously aids in their swimming activities. The capybara use the water as a defense mechanism since the majority of their predators are land based.

Their social life has also evovled as a defense mechanism.  These incredibly large rodents tend to live in groups of 20 but have also been known to herd up with as many as a 100.  Could you imagine a group of a 100 capybara’s running around your yard? These large groups are usually controlled by one dominant male.  This dominant male has the responsibility of marking out the groups territory using a scent gland on his nose.

So now I can’t help but wonder if my brother would have worked harder for that A if we were promised a capybara.  Nah, probably not!