Two California zoos welcome newborn capybaras. Here’s what makes these rodents special

Brianna Taylor
·2 min read
2

California is having a week of capybara news.

Two zoos — The Sacramento Zoo in Northern California and San Diego Zoo in Southern California — welcomed baby capybaras, and soon they’ll be among the largest living rodents in the world.

In Sacramento at 3930 W Land Park Drive, capybaras Chigüiro and Anna-Leroy welcomed a “healthy” baby early Monday morning, the Land Park zoo wrote in an email to subscribers. The mom is in good condition and the entire family can be found in their enclosure during the day.

On Tuesday, the San Diego Zoo at 2920 Zoo Drive announced its capybaras Rosalina and Bowie are new parents to a group of four energetic pups.

“Don’t let their little legs fool you,” San Diego Zoo wrote on its Facebook page. “These little pups are already up and, on the move, following mom and exploring their new surroundings.”

Here’s what you need to know about capybaras, with information from San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, before you visit the zoos for a sight of the newborn pups:

Facts about capybaras

Capybaras resemble a montage of animals; a beaver, a pig, a hippo and even a guinea pig.

According to San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, the world’s largest rodents stand 2 feet tall with brown, shaggy hair. All of their facial features — eyes, ears and noses — are crammed at the top of their head.

“The capybara is not currently classified as endangered, although it is threatened by deforestation, habitat destruction, and illegal poaching,” the nonprofit conservation wrote on its website.

The dry-skinned rodents are typically found chilling near standing water with a swimming hole along Central and South America’s rivers, ponds and streams. The animals eat plants and grasses with the help of their long, sharp teeth.

Fun facts:

  • Capybaras can swim just as well as they walk thanks to their webbed feet.

  • They also eat their own feces for the “beneficial bacteria.”

Capybaras live between 10 and 12 years, depending on if they’re in the care of experts.

What do you want to know about life in Sacramento? Ask our service journalism team your top-of-mind questions in the module below or email servicejournalists@sacbee.com.