Common name : Water hog
Scientific name : Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris
Family : Caviidae
Native to : South America
Interesting fact : Widely prized for its body fat which is used in the pharmaceutical industry.
Conservation status : Least Concern
It is the largest member of the rodent family. The capybara lives in dense forests near water bodies, in groups close to a hundred members. Their front teeth wear out with the passage of time, and keep growing in place of the old ones. They mate only in water, giving birth after 150 days to a litter of four to five pups.
