The water guinea pig (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) is an unusually sized rodent. In fact, it's the largest rodent in the world left - even though it's a rat, it's about the size of a Labrador.
Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris
Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris are rodents of unusual size. In fact, it's the largest rodent in the world left - even though it's a rat, it's about the size of a Labrador.
Water guinea pigs are found in most of South America and live in forests next to the water. They like to be in the water and spend most of their time swimming, avoiding jaguars and eating a lot of grass.
Water guinea pigs can weigh between 35 and 66kg and can grow up to 1.3 meters long. Females are usually larger and heavier than males. They are 60cm tall. Their size is comparable to that of Labrador dogs, despite the fact that this rat is stout and heavier.
This rat is closely related to the guinea pig and the cave rat. However, they are not the largest rodents that have ever existed - Josephoartigasia monesi looks similar to water guinea pigs but lived 2 to 4 million years ago. These monsters weigh 1 ton, with a body length of 3 meters!
The ancient Josephoartigasia monesi had short necks and stout bodies, containing a lot of fatty tissue. They often walked and ran on all fours like modern bison. Like water guinea pigs, they have four toes on the forefoot and three on the back of their toes linked by a membrane that allows them to swim. Unlike most modern rodents, which possess a long tail, they often have no tail or have a much shorter tail when compared to their body proportions.
The scientific name of the water guinea pig is derived from the Greek word and roughly translates to "water pig" (both genus and species name). Although they are not pigs, this rat loves water.
They are semi-aquatic mammals and spend a lot of time in the water. Most of their life, they live in dense forests next to lakes, rivers or swamps.
Water guinea pigs have special adaptations for their life around wetlands. They have slightly webbed feet that help them swim. They can also press their ears to their heads to prevent water from entering and can stay underwater for up to 5 minutes. This behavior can help them evade predators.
Their eyes, ears, and nostrils are all located on top of their heads, so they can cover most of their heads in water. This also helps them to be less visible to predators but still be able to see what's going on.
These giant rats even mate underwater.
Today, the world's largest rodent is the capybara, which inhabits Paraguay, Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Venezuela and most of northern South America, compared with other rodents, the size Their size is still very large with a body length of 1.3 meters, a height of 0.5 meters at the shoulder, and a weight of 35 to 66 kg.
Water guinea pigs are picky eaters and only eat very specific plants. However, they will eat a wider variety of plants in the dry season when their favorite is not available.
This giant rodent mainly eats grass and aquatic plants. They also eat their own feces to get the most out of nutrients and aid digestion by accumulating beneficial bacteria.
"It's called coprophagy -- a mechanism to take in all the nutrients," Elizabeth Congdon, a professor and capybara researcher at Bethune-Cookman University in Florida, told The Verge.
Like other rodents, their teeth are constantly growing due to constant wear and tear from eating.
They eat 3-4 kg (about the same weight as an average cat) of grass every day. Guinea pigs will chew from side to side (like a camel), while humans chew up and down.
True to its name, the water guinea pig is particularly fond of water. They even mate while in the water. Water guinea pigs can dive and stay underwater for up to 5 minutes. According to National Geographic, they are "excellent swimmers". Webbed feet help guinea pigs easily move through the water. The semi-aquatic lifestyle also helps them avoid being chased by feral cats, eagles or anacondas.
Under ideal conditions, water guinea pigs can live up to 10 years, but they usually don't live longer than 4 years in the wild as they are often considered a good meal for jaguars, cougars, and eagles. , caimans and anacondas.
This rat is social and usually lives in groups of 10-20, although in the dry season they can live in groups of 40 or more.
When on land, this species also possesses remarkable speed. It can accelerate to 35 km / h - the same as a horse.
The behavior of these animals is often compared to that of cows — they just need to be quiet and have grass to eat.
However, water guinea pigs seem to be fairly easy to train: they were sometimes kept as pets, and a blind man in Suriname used them as guide animals. The owners of this giant rat also say that they learn faster than dogs when performing simple movements.
Water guinea pigs are also kept as pets. In Japan, a zoo named Izu Shaboten even gives them hot baths to attract visitors.
