The Capybaras

Named a Best Book of the Year by Kirkus and the New York Public Library “Purely exquisite.”—Kirkus (Starred) For kids ages 4-8, a charming and hilarious tale about capybaras: the beloved animal sensation capturing children’s hearts! Hens and their chicks love their warm, snug home. Life is simple and comfortable in the chicken coop, where everyone knows their place and worries are far away. Until one day, when the capybaras appear. To the hens, the capybaras are too big, too wet, and too hairy. They don’t even follow the rules! But it’s hunting season, and the capybaras need somewhere safe to hide. Can the hens learn to get along with their unexpected guests? This delightful story shares the importance of opening our hearts to each other, no matter our differences, and the marvelous surprises that can happen along the way. An Aldana Libros Book, Greystone Kids

Most rodents, such as mice, rats, and chipmunks, are small animals—but not the capybara! This animal is the biggest rodent in the world. An adult capybara is the size of a large dog, growing to a length of about 4 feet (1.2 m) and weighing about 110 pounds (50 kg). Capybaras live in big groups of 10 to 30 animals and travel together looking for food. As they move, they bark, grunt, chirp, and whistle to keep in touch with one another. These super-sized animals are big communicators! In Capybara: The World’s Largest Rodent, large color photos and grade-appropriate text will engage young readers as they learn about the natural habitat, physical characteristics, diet, life cycle, and behavior of this huge rodent. A comparison diagram is also included to show readers the animal in relation to a familiar object.

This natural history details information about the capybaras' anatomy, ecology, behavior, biology, conservation, management, and taxonomy. Capybaras are robust and agile, and reach the size of a small pig and weigh upward of 100 pounds at maturity. They range throughout South American tropical wetlands. Largely extirpated from their former haunts through agricultural practices and poaching, they have adapted well to human management and conservation efforts and are frequently raised on ranches as valued sources of both meat and leather. The herbivorous rodents play a vital role in the ecosystems of natural grasslands, wetlands, and gallery forests and are commonly prey for caimans, anacondas, jaguars, and pumas. The book describes the capybaras' known history; the diseases, parasites, and hazards they face; and their population and behavioral characteristics. It also discusses how they interact with predators and other animals and explains their long-running and growing commercial importance to humankind.

Two capybaras are delivered to the Toronto High Park Zoo. When an opportunity to escape comes up, they take it! This sets off a frenzy across the city, with some Torontonians cheering the renegades on, and others plotting their downfall. Follow the adventures of these giant rodents as they meet new animals and try new things. You’ll meet Muck the movie-loving chipmunk, Ed the stealthy coyote and a trio of clever raccoons, all intent on protecting the capybaras. Together, the crew outsmart trackers and zoo workers and become good friends in the process. You’ll laugh and be amazed when you find out what two capybaras and a park full of animals can do with thirty-six days of freedom!

The capybara is the neotropical mammal with the highest potential for production and domestication. Amongst the favorable characteristics for domestication we can list its high prolificacy, rapid growth rate, a herbivorous diet, social behavior and relative tameness. The genus (with only two species) is found from the Panama Canal to the north of Argentina on the east of the Andes. Chile is the only country in South America where the capybara is not found. The species is eaten all over its range, especially by poor, rural and traditional communities engaged in subsistence hunting. On the other hand, in large urban settlements wildlife is consumed by city dwellers as a delicacy. The sustainable management of capybara in the wild has been adopted by some South American countries, while others have encouraged capybara rearing in captivity.

Capybaras are the world’s largest rodents! Thriving at the water’s edge deep in the rain forests of South America, these unusual critters know how to keep busy. Whether wallowing in the mud, searching for tasty grasses, or evading predators, capybaras are adapted to thrive in the rain forest!

Capybaras are the biggest rodents in the world! These social animals live in large groups and spend lots of time in water. Get all the facts on these huge rodents.

With the look of a pig-size beaver, it is not readily apparent that the water-loving capybara is actually a rodentÑthe largest, in fact! For this hairy mammal, the water is a source of food, safety, and comfort. See why the capybara sets up camp near rivers, ponds, and lakes in this informative book for beginning readers.