Native to most of South America, the capybara is the largest rodent on Earth. Capybaras can grow to be two feet tall (61 cm) and weigh as much as 175 pounds (79 kg). They are social animals by nature, and they have gained a level of fame worldwide for their seeming ability to make individuals from other species feel at ease in their presence. Collected here: images of capybaras young and old, in the wilds of South America, in safari parks in Europe, hot springs in Japan, and elsewhere, often pictured with a companion or two.
Companionable Capybaras
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Capybaras soak in a hot spring with citron at a park in Ito, Shizuoka prefecture, Japan, on December 29, 2014. Several facilities in Japan that raise and care for capybaras place them in hot springs for the winter season. #
Eugene Hoshiko / AP -
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A capybara named Cheesecake, photographed relaxing with a puppy at Rocky Ridge Refuge in Mountain Home, Arkansas, on May 22, 2017. Cheesecake acts as a babysitter at the refuge, minding the smaller animals. #
Animal Press / Barcroft Media via Getty -
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Standing two feet tall at the shoulder, and weighing in at 100 pounds, this capybara named Caplin Rous was the companion to its owner, Melanie Typaldos, photographed here at their home in Buda, Texas, on August 18, 2010. Caplin passed away in January of 2011. #
Melanie Typaldos / Barcroft Media via Getty -
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