Idea #345 – Observing the Cabiai, lord of herbs
Capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris), of the Indian word Guaranis ” capivara ” meaning ” Lord of herbs “, called also Capybara in Guiana, is the biggest rodent known in the world. Current. He lives in South America where he lives the life of a social and semi-aquatic mammal. A grown-up capybara measures between 105 and 135 centimeters long and weighs from 35 to 65 kilograms. Its body is covered with hairs hard browns and the head has a wide snout. The eyes are small and situated over the nose which is surmounted by a gland which serves to mark objects with its secretions. Its ears are small and rounded off. It has no tail. Its forelegs have four fingers, those back have three fingers; it so leaves very characteristic tracks on the wet grounds. It is diurnal and its longevity is of a dozen years.
The capybara bases its survival on a surprising social cohesion: It is not rare that, in a group formed by about twenty animals, the young people of diverse ages are confided to one of the adults, allowing the parents to bathe, to feed or to cover itself with mud without too many risks for their offspring. It is as well accepted as a breast-feeding female is allowed suck by all the youngs of the same group. Most of the predators of the rodent are ground: pumas, jaguars, anacondas or human beings. In lakes, the grown-up capybaras aren’t afraid by caimans, but their youngs are sometimes victims of attack of reptiles. In case of attack, the capybar does not hesitate tocharge or to use its two pairs of incisors, wide each of 2 cms which can impose grave wounds.
Some Pictures
Where is it ?
Moor of Kaw, Guyane, France
