Saturday, May 17, 2014

The Capybara

It is Sepia Saturday on the Bayou.  This is a fun blog hop with many great sepia photos and is hosted by Ruckus the Eskie.


 
 This is Mia the capybara and she attended the 2014 BlogPaws conference.  Blogpaws made a donation to the ROUSFoundation.  ROUS stands for Rodents of Unusual Size and the capybara certainly falls into that category.  They are indigenous to much of South America and have the distinction of being the world’s largest rodent.  It is a close relative to the chinchilla and guinea pig.  Its heavy body is shaped like a barrel with a short solid head and reddish/golden brown fur.  When they reach maturity, they can be up to 4 feet in length and weigh as much as 140 pounds.  They have webbed feet and only 20 teeth.  Capybaras eat mainly by grazing on grasses and aquatic plants, fruits, and tree bark.  An adult can consume up to eight pounds of grass each day.
   Capybaras are increasingly kept as unique pets and this can lead to many unwanted in captivity.  They are gentle, friendly animals and have even been used as a seeing guide animal for the blind.  Before you rush out to get your own capybara, give ownership some serious thought.  Just as any wild animal that people try to domesticate, the animal can become aggressive.  They need a lot of room and attention.  They are definitely not for everyone.  As for my house, we will stick with dogs.
   If you are interested in learning more about the capybara, you can read Melanie Typaldos’ blog, Capybara Madness http://www.gianthamster.com

Sources: Capybara Madness at http://www.gianthamster.com
               FactZoo at http://www.factzoo.com


*I wanted to make a clarification from Tuesday’s post concerning the incredible PetSmartCharities, Inchttp://www.mkclinton.com/2014/05/where-can-i-adopt-pet.html  The amount of animals saved by being adopted is listed it as 400,000.  The nonprofit actually saves over 400,000 cats and dogs EVERY YEAR (or more than 5 million to date) through their in-store adoption programs.  Way to be awesome PetSmart Charities!!
**Bravo! has issued a recall on select dog and cat food due to potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes.  You can read everything that you need to know including who you should contact and how to get a refund or credit at the Pet 360 Safety Center.  http://www.pet360.com/dog/alerts-and-recalls/bravo-recalls-select-dog-and-cat-foods  
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19 comments :

  1. Wow! Very cool! I have never heard of these guys before!! Interesting...but yes...I will stick with my dogs. :) Happy Sepia Saturday!!

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  2. New to us too. We learned something new today. Have a super Saturday.
    Best wishes Molly

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  3. I know of Capybaras but didn't realise people actually kept them as pets or that they can grow so large. Yes, I'll stick to dogs as well. I certainly hope having a Capybara for a pet doesn't become the 'in' thing. I think they would be very difficult to rehome, even as cute as they are.

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  4. Those things are just weird! Mom wouldn't let us get near them as she was afraid our hunting instinct would kick in. She saw them last year at BlogPaws too. Can't imagine having one as a pet.

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  5. Hi Y'all,

    My Human says she's getting too old to deal with anything that gets that large, even if it is a dog. She can't imagine keeping such a large wild animal as a pet. Fascinating that they have been used as guide animals.

    Y'all come by now,
    Hawk aka BrownDog

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  6. They are indeed an amazing animal! we of course don't have any here in Australia but understand the wild animals not always being suitable to keep due to their needs..we have seen people overseas with pet Kangaroos and they too can be very dangerous :) fabulous picture :) hugs Fozziemum

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  7. I met Mia and thought she was the sweetest thing.

    I agree, though, that capybaras aren't for everyone. They have special needs that must be met (like a place to swim!) and need a veterinarian that can care for them.

    I'm happy enough that I got a chance to get to know one up close and personal.

    --Wags (and purrs) from Life with Dogs and Cats

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  8. As I saw a picture of Mia the first time I was in love immediately. Thanks for sharing some informtions about this wonderful animals.

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  9. I have always thought these guys were so neat!
    They are like GInormous guinea pigs or something! haha!
    Have a great weekend!
    ღ husky hugz ღ frum our pack at Love is being owned by a husky!

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  10. that thing TOTALLY freaked me out :) It thought I was it's mother :) But it IS awfully cute, kinda like a guinea pig on hormones :)

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    2. Sorry Caren I had to delete because I spelled you name wrong....but that's hilarious!!! I can see you running now hahhahah :)

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  11. What a great photo...the clarity is amazing! I've been seeing lots of photos of this gal (and this is probably the best one), but hadn't read much detail about her, so thanks for the great info, it was very interesting to learn more (I'll stick to dogs too though).
    Jan, Wag 'n Woof Pets

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  12. Cute fellow, but I stick to mom. Sniff and wags from Laika and Vaks.

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  13. These guys are cute but they are definitely not for everyone.

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  14. Was lucky enough to see Mia, at BlogPaws very beautiful.

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  15. We saw Mia too. We were amazed to hear she would just about triple in size!

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