What does «carpincho» mean in Spanish?
- Mammalian rodent of the Americas. The largest of the living rodents, inhabiting only South America. Close to the guinea pig, the capybara (Hydrochoerus) is a strongly built animal that measures about 1.30 m in length and whose height at the withers is about 53 cm. Its body is covered with thick, bristly, reddish-brown hair. Its general appearance has earned it the common name of water hog. Its legs are short and stout, with three toes joined together by a membrane and claw-like hooves. The head is large and flat; it has practically no tail. It swims quickly; on land, however, its movements are relatively slow. Its food consists mainly of aquatic plants, so it frequents low, marshy ground near rivers and lakes. Among its enemies are the puma, jaguar and anaconda. When it fears harm, it dives into the water and swims away quickly. It is not believed to live more than 10 years, in some cases up to 20. Scientific name: Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris. Other common names: capybara, capybara, ronsoco, chigüiro.