August 12, 2011

DENVER ZOO WELCOMES
TWO SIBLING CAPYBARAS
Visitors Can See the World's Largest Rodent Species Now

Denver Zoo has a couple of large rodents roaming around one of its buildings, but they are welcome guests. Two capybaras (Cap-ee-bar-as), named Rodrigo and Gabriella, just arrived from Buffalo Zoo. The brother and sister were just born February 17 this year. Visitors can see them now in the zoo's Tropical Discovery exhibit.

The capybara is the largest rodent in the world. Their appearances resemble guinea pigs, but they can grow to about four feet long and weigh between 80 to 140 pounds. Like all rodents, their two front teeth continuously grow throughout their life. They gnaw on tree trunks and chew grasses to wear down the teeth. These herbivores are very efficient grazers using their teeth to crop short grasses and other vegetation.

Capybara is Greek for "water pig." They inhabit densely vegetated areas and forests around lakes, streams, swamps and marshes through central and South America. Adapted for a semi-aquatic life, their eyes, nostrils and ears are located near the top of the head. They are excellent divers and swimmers with partially webbed toes. When threatened by predators on land, they retreat to the safety of water and escape by swimming away, hiding in floating vegetation or staying submerged for up to five minutes. If they need, capybaras will sleep underwater and stick their noses out of the water to breathe.

They will usually stay in a herd of 20, but herds can range in size from 10 to 100. There is always one male that takes lead of the herd, who will snap at other males and outsiders to keep them away. Herds are usually made up of related adults and their offspring. The herd will communicate by growls, grunts, barks, whines, squeaks, whistles, twitters and clicks.

Although their numbers had previously declined because of because of hunting for food and leather, capybaras are now classified as lower risk by the World Conservation Union (IUCN). Laws restricting the number of capybaras that can be legally hunted as well as ranching capybaras for the meat market have helped stabilized capybara populations.