A Florida biologist is warning that capybaras, a rodent species native to South America, could be the state’s next invasive species, according to ScienceNews.org.
If you’re not familiar with these rodents of unusual size, they’re essentially overgrown guinea pigs with coarse fur and long legs. At about 4 feet long and around 100 pounds they’re the largest rodent species in the world.
Elizabeth Congdon of Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach recently discussed the species’ Florida population during a lecture at 53rd Annual Conference of the Animal Behavior Society.
In 1995, five capybara escaped from a wildlife facility near Gainesville. Now the population in that area is up to 50 and Congdon believes those original five could be part of the reason why.
Capybara generally live in groups and prefer to dwell in areas with heavy vegetation and access to bodies of water. They mate in water and produce anywhere between four and eight pups per litter.
The capybara has no natural predators in the U.S., other than humans, and Congdon believes that could could contribute to it transitioning from an exotic species to an invasive one.
The impact the species could have on the ecosystem is still unclear, that’s why Congdon recommends studying rather than hunting the mammals.
If the capybara sounds cute and cuddly to you, note that it is legal to keep them as pets in some states although plucking them from the wild is not recommended.
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