North American capybara (SciiFii)

The North America capybara (Neochoerus pinckneyi), also known as the American shagrat, is a species of capybara that originally lived in Central America, Mexico, and the southern US during the Pleistocene and was once extinct, but has since been brought back from extinction by SciiFii and reintroduced to the jungles, swamps, forests, and open woodlands throughout Central America, Mexico, southeastern US, southern US, and southwestern US to help boost biodiversity. While capybaras originated in South America, formation of the Isthmus of Panama three million years ago allowed some of them to migrate north as part of the Great American Interchange. Capybaras and porcupines are the only caviomorph rodents that reached temperate North America (naturally) during this exchange. At 90 to 113 kg (200 to 250 pounds), 40% larger than the South American capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris), the North American capybara is one of the largest rodent species, surpassed only by the giant pacarana, several species of Phoberomys (living and extinct), and the giant beaver.
Just like South American capybaras, its sweat glands can be found in the surface of the hairy portions of its skin, an unusual trait among rodents, and like its South American relatives, it is also a semiaquatic mammal that lives in densely forested areas near bodies of water, such as lakes, rivers, swamps, ponds, and marshes, as well as flooded savannah and along rivers in the tropical rainforests and wetlands. It is a superb swimmers and can hold its breath underwater for up to five minutes at a time. North American capybaras have flourished in cattle ranches. They roam in home ranges averaging 10 hectares (25 acres) in high-density populations. North American capybaras are herbivores, grazing mainly on grasses and aquatic plants, as well as fruit and tree bark. They are very selective feeders and feed on the leaves of one species and disregard other species surrounding it. They eat a greater variety of plants during the dry season, as fewer plants are available. While they eat grass during the wet season, they have to switch to more abundant reeds during the dry season. They are a highly social species and can be found in groups as large as 100 individuals, but usually live in groups of around 10–20 individuals. The conservation status of the North American capybara is Least Concern due to successful conservation efforts, the North American capybara's wide natural range and its tolerance to most of human activities, including being able to adapt to life in the cities and suburbs.
Category:Animals
Category:Species
Category:SciiFii