´óÏó´«Ã½

Find out some fun facts about capybaras with Steve and Aneeshwar. You can learn how they got their name, why they have big front teeth and how they swim!

Capybara is pronouned like:

Ìý

°ì²¹Â·±è³Ü³ó·²ú²¹²¹Â·°ù³Ü³ó

Capybaras are rodents - like rats, mice and guinea pigs, you wouldn't be wrong in thinking capybaras look like giant guinea pigs because they are closely related.

Capybaras areÌýfound throughout parts of northern and central South America.Ìý

CapybaraÌýhave great, big, oversized front teethÌýto cut through grass and bark. Their teethÌýnever stop growing, soÌýto keep their teeth at a reasonable length, capybaras must wear them down by grinding and chewing.

Capybaras are the largest living rodent in the world, they can grow up to four feet long and two feet up to their shoulders and weigh between 30 to 65 kilograms.Ìý

Capybaras love to be in the water and are superb swimmers.ÌýThey are semi-aquatic which means they live partly on land and partly in water.

Capybaras have skin between their toes called 'webbing'Ìýlike frogs and ducks do, this helps them to push through the water and swim faster. The capybaras eyes and nose are on top of their head so that whilst they are swimming they can breathe and look around.

Capybaras live in small family groups of around 10.Ìý

Discover more about lots of different animals with these animal quizzes and fact files.Ìý

Find animal games, jigsaw puzzles, songs and more on the Animal Topic page.Ìý