Cavybaras are South American rodents that spend most of their day in water. They have a semi-aquatic lifestyle, meaning they can swim but also live on land and in water. Their name ‘cavy’ means ‘chicken’ in Spanish, which refers to their tendency to follow herds of chickens when they are young.
These animals evolved from a much smaller species called the agouti, which lived on lakes and rivers many millions of years ago. The agouti was a small rodent that lived mainly on seeds and fruits like nuts and berries. It could forage for these foods at different heights, so it kept its body low to the ground like a modern polecat or civet cat. Its paws had very good webbing between the toes to help it climb trees, as well as sharp claws for scratching or digging into bark.
Are Capybaras Related to Pigs?
When you think of pigs, you probably picture a furry animal with a pig’s nose and curly tail. But this is not the case. Capybaras are rodents, meaning they are members of the order Rodentia. They are related to voles, guinea pigs, hamsters, beavers, muskrats, and many others—not pigs.
Are Capybaras Prehistorical?
Cavybaras are prehistoric in the sense that they are a South American species of rodent. The agouti is the only other semi-aquatic rodent that still exists, and it was found on lakes and rivers near the Andes Mountains.
It took very long time for this type of creature to evolve into capybaras. It evolved from a smaller, burrowing animal with sharp claws, and it took at least 10 million years for this creature to develop into a bigger, swimming capybara!
What Are the Ancestors of Capybaras?
The ancestors of capybaras are the agouti, which evolved from a much smaller, seed-eating rodent called the South American cavy. The cavy is related to rock hyraxes and guinea pigs and even bears some resemblance to them, but it has a number of unique features in comparison to other rodents.
First, capybaras can swim but live on land or in water at the same time. Second, their hind legs are longer than their front legs so they can walk on all fours like bears, as well as run quickly on all fours like otters. Third, their spines are not fused together like most other rodents; instead they have a series of vertebrae that run down the length of their bodies. Finally, they have two external ear openings rather than just one.
What Is a Capybara Closely Related To?
A capybara is closely related to guinea pigs. These two rodents are members of the rodent family that has a long history dating back over 10 million years.
