Keepers at Howletts Wild Animal Park near Canterbury, England were pleased to introduce a new litter of Capybara pups to the park recently. “Capybaras are the largest of the rodent species and have big bodies with short heads and shorter front legs than back legs. Their feet are slightly webbed with 4 toes on the front and 3 toes on the back feet. When they dive they can remain under water for up to 5 minutes!” Said Keeper Joel Bunce.
Howletts Wild Animal Park has a group of six Capybara; five female and one male. The group has three breeding females and litters are normally weaned around 16 weeks. Joel said: “These lovely animals are great to look after, the pups are so curious at the moment and at feeding time make the funniest noises as they jumble over each other for the food.” Capybaras are not endangered in the wild although their numbers are declining in some areas due to hunting. Their natural predators are large constrictors.
The San Diego Zoo welcomed a new Capybara on March 7. The baby was born to a first-time mother, Rose, and could be seen running around the exhibit just hours after it was born. Rose is taking great care of her offspring, which nurses several times a day. Animal care staff expects nursing to continue for another 15 weeks. In addition to nursing, the baby has already started eating solid foods, including broccoli and apple. Capybaras are born with incisor teeth and keepers have seen the baby chewing on branches and trees around the exhibit.
On August 18th, the UK's Paignton Zoo welcomed a baby Capybara to parents David and Davina. Sometimes called a the Giant Guinea Pig, these massive rodents can grow four feet long (a rodent of unusual size perhaps?). Capybaras love to lounge, and even sleep, in swamps and rivers with only their eyes and nostrils poking out.
These 15-day-old Capybara babies seem like they were born to rock. Something about the spikey-haired "wet" look and their "blue steel" attitude should land them a cover spot on Rolling Stone. "Spinal Cap", perhaps? The pictures were taken at Chessington Zoo in the UK just yesterday by photographer Mogodonman. Note the sleepy-eyed bass player on the top left of the lead image.
The Akron Zoo is thrilled to announce the birth on March 24, 2010 of two capybara babies. Mother capy', Courtney, and the two babies are now on exhibit in the Zoo’s Legends of the Wild. The capybaras will be on exhibit daily as long as the temperature is above 65 degrees and conditions are favorable. The capybara's scientific name hydrochaeris is Greek for "Water Hog" and they live up to it!
The Santa Barbara Zoo's four new 4-month-old capybaras are
now out on exhibit near the courtyard as of Tuesday, March 2, 2010. This
adorable litter, consisting of 3 males and 1 female, came to the Santa
Barbara Zoo from the Alameda Park Zoo in New Mexico. Capybaras are the
world's largest rodent from Central and South America, and can grow up
to 4 feet long and 100-150 pounds! Nicknamed "swamp hogs," capybaras are
dependent on water and well adapted to it - they even have webbed feet.
Capybaras swim and dive freely and can stay submerged underwater for up
to five minutes. They also wallow in water to protect skin from hot
sun. Like all rodents, capybaras must chew and gnaw to wear down
continually growing teeth. They tend to live in groups of about 20
adults.
On Christmas Day, Uruguay's M'Bopicua Breeding Station welcomed two little capybaras, or "carpinchos" as they are known in Spanish. One of the little girls turned out to be an albino and was named "Snow White." Although she looks suspiciously like a big guinea pig as an infant, as an adult she could grow to be over four feet long and over 230 lbs. (note: an average capybara only weighs around 100 lbs. in adulthood but maybe Snow White will be extra well fed...).
The Buffalo Zoo welcomed three baby capybaras on September 10th. The zoo tells us that the three babies were running around and even swimming the day they were born. The proud capybara parents have had three previous litters for a total of 20 offspring! Capybaras are the world's largest rodent with the largest recorded size at 232 lbs (105 kg)!
Meet the Marwell Zoo's newest baby capybaras as they chase mom around their exhibit looking for lunch. Capybara are the world's largest living rodent and they are very social and vocal, communicating with purrs, alarm barks, whistles, clicks, squeals and grunts. We're guessing this is a noisy bunch.
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