nature science history

How Come Capybaras Get Along So Well With Other Species?

These peaceful little guys (who are the largest rodents in the world) are called capybaras, and they get along extremely well with literally every other animal species. Including humans.

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How come? Well, it certainly doesn’t have to do with the fact that they eat their own waste. No, what it probably has to do with is their incredible inner peace.

Just look at this.

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And indeed, the photo/video evidence of the capybara’s friendliness towards other animals is more than convincing.

Apparently, all domestic and wild animals (including crocodiles!) seem to be happily hanging out with this friendly creature that looks like a rat-pig hybrid.

croc capybara river

But really, what’s their secret then?

Native to South America, these cute animals are extremely social, often forming groups of 10-20 individuals that live together.

And they are also quite big! They are the largest rodents in the world, growing to a size of up to 134cm (4 feet 4¾ inches) and weighing up to 66kg (145 lb).

Third, capybaras are semi-aquatic mammals that prefer to live near bodies of water. They are master swimmers that can avoid predators by staying submerged for up to 5 minutes. They even only mate in water.

But as for why everybody loves them, there are only guesses. Yet, there’s certainly much evidence around. Now, see for yourself.

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capybara monkey love 2
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Fianlly, here’s a video trying to comprehend it all.

By the way, did you know that capybaras are very good at crossing busy roads together, too?

What do you think? Are there any other animal friends that surpass the level of capybara loveliness?

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Written by Tamás Varga
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A sociologist and English major by degree, I've worked in the area of civil society & human rights and have been blogging in the fields of travel, nature & science for over 20 years.
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