Capybaras are the world’s largest rodent. They're originally from South America. But the pint-sized version is visiting the Clearwater Marine Aquarium through July 20.
You can get an “up close” encounter with the babies there. But you’ll need to buy a special ticket for that.
When the sibling group arrived last month, they were about nine weeks old. With their little egg-shaped bodies and webbed feet and the adorable noises they make, they kind of sound like birds chirping or chittering, and it’s hard to keep your eyes off them.
It's the second year in a row that Brian Braitsch, the president and founder of Amazing Animals in St. Cloud, Florida, where these babies were bred, has brought a herd in for visitors to get facetime at the aquarium.
And it’s a good fit for the aquarium, because these babies are semi-aquatic. And they can hold their breath for about five minutes.
“They're gonna be in the water basically to cool off, to drink, to go to the restroom, to breed. They do a lot of breeding in the water, and then they kind of go on land to relax and lay around,” Braitsch said.
The capybaras eat guinea pig food, and a lot of greens. To get the most out of their meals, the capybaras eat their own poo, so they can give their bodies a second chance to glean nutrients from what they consume, because they don’t get all of that the first time through.
This herd has one girl and her three brothers. The aquarium named them Daisy, Orchid, Bluebell and Bud. Capybaras are matriarchal, so they kind of play “follow the leader.” And like all siblings, they can sometimes have disagreements.
“They’ll wrestle, and … they'll yell at each other, and they'll, they'll put one of them... in their place,” Braitsch said.
During the time we were there, the little girl decided she wanted to cool off in a bucket, so one of her brothers squeezed himself into it, too.
Capybaras have a lot of rodent cousins, like the cavy, guinea pig and rabbits and rats. But these babies are social media stars. And it’s easy to see why. Cuteness overload.
Braitsch works with zoos and aquariums across Florida to help visitors learn more about them.
And as for rumors that there’s a wild herd roaming around the state, he said he doesn’t think they’re around anymore.
Braitsch said capybaras can live up to 10 years in captivity, half as long in the wild.
The Capybara Chillout is on through July 20 at Clearwater Marine Aquarium. Get more details by clicking here.
