Capybara
Appearance
Do you know what this mammal looks like? The capybara has long curved teeth. The front teeth never stops growing. They bark, whistle, chirp, and grunt. This four legged animal has brownish fur. It’s fur is really short. This mammel have webbed feet. The capybara is the size of a large dog. Adults weigh up to six to eight pounds.
Habitat
Did you know that over 100 capybara lives in only a few parts of the world? It likes spending time in water. The capybara prefers to live in wet and grassy areas like lakes, rivers, and ponds. They like to spend time in shallow mud to. This animal lives in South America. You can find this mammal in Brazil and Venezuela.
Prey
The capybara is a herbivore of the tropical rainforest. It is a picky eater. This mammal is on a special diet. This creature only eats water plants, grass, and sometimes berries. If it gets sick it will need to eat fresh tree bark. This animal also has a vegetarian diet. This rainforest critter also likes to eat melons, squash, and grain from farmers. They prefer to hunt when it is cooler, like in the morning and evening. These mammals eat three kilograms a day.
Friends and Enemies
The capybara has many friends but few enemies. Females like to stay in a big group so they can feel more safe. The capybara hide under water to stay safe from their enemies. These predators can be animals like the jaguar. A mother has four to eight litters. All the females help take care of the babies. It has at least one dominant male and several females in the group.
Although this is a strange animal it is very interesting. I hope you enjoyed these facts about the capybara. It is an amazing animal.
Bibliography
"Capybara." Capybara. Web. 23 Feb. 2016.
"Capybara Facts for Kids | Animal Fact Guide." Animal Fact Guide. Web. 24 Feb. 2016.
" Five Things You Didn't Know about Capybaras." MNN. Web. 23 Feb. 2016.
Goldish, Meish. Beavers and Other Rodents. Chicago: World Book, 2002. Print.
"Interesting Facts about Capybaras." Capybara. Web. 23 Feb. 2016.
Lunis, Natalie. Capybara: The World's Largest Rodent. New York, NY: Bearport Pub., 2010. Print.
Sen, Benita. Rainforest Creatures. New York: PowerKids, 2008. Print.