Do capybaras eat their own poo? + more fun facts about the world's largest rodents

Have you ever seen a capybara? 🤩

These adorable rodents are big and friendly, they love swimming and they always hang out with their friends in large groups!

You may have seen cute videos of them around the internet - but did you know that they hold a world record title?

Yes, that's right! Capybaras are the largest rodents on earth. 🌎

How big, you ask?

Well, these huge rodents, also known by the scientific name Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris or "greater capybara" (as opposite of the lesser capybara, or Hydrochoerus isthmius), live in Central and South America and can easily reach the size of a Labrador dog. 🐕

capybara puppies

More specifically, they can reach up to 1–1.3 metres (3 ft 3 in–4 ft 3 in) with their head and body length. 🤯

A capybara can be twice as big as a beaver, the second-biggest rodent on earth! 🦫

What is more, the average capybara weighs between 50–60 kg (110 lb 3 oz–132 lb 4 oz); the equivalent of a full-grown wolf or an adult human, and often surpasses that weight. 🐺

Capybara sleeping

Fun facts

Here are some super fun facts on these adorable animals:

Capybaras are amazing swimmers and spend a lot of their lives in the water. They can stay underwater for up to 5 minutes at a time! 💦
They love living in groups of 10-20, and even larger groups of over 40 capybaras have been observed - they are just so popular. 😎
They feast on grass, leaves and fruit all day long. 🍃
Capybaras are special and important animals with stories in South American art and tradition. 🙏
In some places in South America, people keep capybaras as pets as they are really good for making them feel calmer - they're so relaxing to be around. 😌

Capybara in the water

Do capybaras eat their own poo?

So we know what you've been wondering since clicking on this story...

Do capybaras really eat their own poo?!

The answer is: yes. They do. 🤪

And before you judge, capybaras are not the only rodents who eat their own waste in the morning - rats and guinea pigs do it too! 🐁

And there is a good reason for it...

🔎 Coprophagy, or eating poo, helps them digest food better in their tummies and make sure they get all the good stuff out of their food.

“It's thought to be a mechanism to get all the nutrients; animals can't digest grass very well, so to get all the nutrients out of it, they eat it twice,” explained the scientist Elizabeth Congdon to The Verge.

Capybara having a bath