I love the water, especially if it's full of delicious marsh plants. I'm an excellent swimmer. Since my owners bought me my own pool I go swimming every day, even in the cold.
I also like to play cat and mouse and to run down the hallway at night. And yogurt, especially blueberry yogurt, is my favorite food.
Movies
Does anyone know of movies with capybaras in them? I don't mind if the capybaras aren't the star but it would be nice if they were.
Television
Sometimes I watch Kim Possible because there's a naked mole rat in that cartoon.
Books
Capyboppy by Bill Peet, an oldie but a goodie.
Heroes
Capyboppy. And Capy, the capybara from the North Florida Zoo who was killed by a hippo. And all the capybaras in the world who are struggling for rodent rights. Hang in there guys!
This is by Jim Perry, one of my MySpace friends. I met him over the winter holiday. Isn't this great? It looks just like me. Jim Perry is one of my heroes!
Caplin Rous It is my birthday week. My owner is making a $5 donation to the capybaras at the San Antonio Zoo for every copy of Celeste and the Giant Hamster sold this week. view more
Hi all. I'm a little capybara. I was born on July 10, 2007. I had to lie about my age to get on MySpace. I don't think those rules should apply to non-humans.
My owner has made a calendar of just photos of me growing up. You can view it at:
www.lulu.com/content/5322996
or buy it using this button:
Not to seem too capitalistic or anything, we are also trying out the idea of having a store on CafePress. You can check it out at:
The Capybara Store
Here are answers to the questions most frequently asked about me:
What do I eat?
Mostly grass, guinea pig food, equine senior, oats, dry fruit (craisens, raisins, etc.), yogurt (esp. blueberry), frosted mini-wheats, popsicles. I don't like fresh fruit or lettuce, spinach, kale or any of the normal guinea pig favorites.
Am I housebroken?
Yes. Capybaras are automatically housebroken since we always want to go to the bathroom in water. I have a bowl of water next to the toilet in the bathroom and another bowl outside. I am a very good capybara and I don't relieve myself in the swimming pool.
Am I affectionate?
Yes. Not like a dog or a cat though. I love to be near my owner and my other friends. I like to be scratched and pet. I like being fed treats. I sometimes sleep in my owner's bed but not as much now that I am bigger. I do like to sit on the couch and put my front paws and head in her lap, but she has to feed me treats to keep me there.
Am I smart?
I am a genius! (Just kidding!) I am smart though. I can walk on a leash (when it suites me), shake hands, stand on my hind feet, climb onto thing on command (like into the car or onto the couch), I can tap someone with a paw to ask for a treat.
Am I friendly?
Yes! I love people, especially kids. My owner sometimes takes me to elementary schools and the kids are always crazy about me. I'll put up with a lot from kids (although they really shouldn't try to ride me). I have a great memory for people and generally remember everyone I meet and treat them differently.
How big will I get?
I think my owner may be relieved that I am reaching my adult size. I expect to top out at around 100 lbs. Females get larger, around 150 lbs.
Do I get along with other animals?
Yes. I have a rabbit co-pet and he only weighs four pounds. We are fine together, although I'm not sure he likes me. The horses sometimes try to step on me, so I don't see much of them. Sometimes I threaten Leopolda, the big leopard tortoise, but there's not much I can do to her. When we go out in public, I frequently see dogs and we generally get along. Some dogs are scared of me but mostly we just sniff each other and let it go at that.
Do I ever get aggressive?
Sad to say that I sometimes do. You can read about it in my blog. I can be quite dangerous when I'm aggressive because these teeth are made for biting! However, this has only happened at home and never when we're out and about. I think I am having territorial issues. My owner thinks females may not have these problems.
Where do I come from?
Ultimately, capybaras come from eastern South America. I was born in Texas though and I'm probably fourth generation captive bred. If you are interested in getting a pet capybara, you can contact Mary Lee at www.capybaras.org.
What are my hobbies?
I like to swim. I have a swimming pool and I swim every day. I only do it with my owner or some other human watching. I don't know, maybe there could be an anaconda in that pool someday and what if no one was there to save me? You may notice that I have webbed feet. Capybaras are semi-aquatic and I am an excellent swimmer.
What kind of animal are you, really?
Capybaras are the world's largest rodents. We are most closely related to guinea pigs, cavys and the like. Our immediate relatives are all from South America but rodents are a very diverse group comprising 1/4 of all mammal species. Other interesting rodents are: guinea pigs (of course), rats, hamsters, beavers, marmots, porcupines and squirrels.
You can view more of my videos at:
http://www.youtube.com/user/caplincapybara
or:
http://www.youtube.com/user/shmaplina
Who I'd like to meet: I'd like to meet other capybaras or people who like capybaras. Other rodents would be nice too. Or people who like rodents. Guinea pigs and other rodents should consider joining my army. Go to: http://groups.myspace.com/CaplinsArmy
And I don't want to forget my friends in the lagamorph family, like my poor little Seabiscuit. People often confuse them with rodents so I'd like to make them honorary members of the rodent family.
I'm pretty brave so I think I might even like to meet some predatory species, dogs, cats, snakes and the lot. But only if they're nice and don't just want to eat me.
I'd like to meet Bill Peet who wrote Capyboppy but, sadly, that is not longer possible. I'd also like to meet Bill Peet, Jr. to see if he thinks I look like Capyboppy--or maybe I'm even cuter.
I would love to meet these giant guinea pigs. And I want to know where they got those cute costumes! Do they come in capybara sizes?
Yo Captser! Happy Almost Birthday!! I sent Mami to the bookstore to buy Celeste and the Giant Hampster, and she goofed up!! I'm SOOOO mad!! First, she asked for JAMES and the Giant Hamster. . . there of course, was none. THEN the bookstore lady tried to convince Mami that hamster was spelled HAMPSTER. Dang humans. Anyway, she's going to give it another try. . . .
Hope you're doing well!
yer bud,
Ellis
p.s. Does it matter where she buys the book in order for the donation to go the zoo? Is Borders ok?
Thanks for the add. I am indeed familiar with your blog; there aren't too many blogs by capybaras online these days, so I couldn't in good conscience pass up the chance to read yours. I'd also love to read your owner's book! Perhaps a trip to Amazon is in order...
lol so today was a good day! i got mommy good....she let me out for a bit...so i'm hooping along doing my own thing and then i find this nice huge dirct TV cord that looked so tasty! and i started chewing it! well mommy started squriting me with a squirt bottle! so i ran and hide behind the couch. And mommy chased me for about 20 mins or so! and then put me away.... :( but dont worry guys! that cord will be mine! and we will meet again
Hey Caplin!! Hehehe! You are a pretty cute rodent! I showed my mom your pic and she said you're adorable! You look very dignified! I'll definitely have to check out your tortoise buddies! I saw the article about you on Neatorama! That was really cool!! Glad to have you as a friend, Caplin!! :-)
Cows have big wet noses!? I get snotty sometimes.. or when I sneeze sometimes mom has to wipe my nose. Or when I eat fruit I get it all over my face.
Aw your birthday is coming up! I hope you get all the blueberry yogurt you could ask for.. and then some! I really like strawberry yogurt, but mom has to give me a bath because I usually get it all over myself.
I hope you and your humans have a wonderful 4th of July! I don't like the loud noises outside.. so I just sit in my igloo.
This is by Jim Perry, one of my MySpace friends. I met him over the winter holiday. Isn't this great? It looks just like me. Jim Perry is one of my heroes!
