Funny rescued capybara is ready for a manicure

This rescued capybara always dips her feet in her water bowl when she drinks it, in spite of having a pool in her enclosure, and she just stays there like that, like she's about to get a manicure!Show more

The Capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) is the largest rodent in the world, reaching up to 1.34 m (4.40 ft) in length, with a shoulder height of up to 62 cm (24 in), and typically weighing from 35 to 66 kg (77 to 146 lb). It belongs to the Caviidae family, along with guinea pigs, maras, and cavies.

They are semi-aquatic, which means that they only occur in areas where there is water, such as marshes, estuaries, and along rivers and streams. Their bodies are adapted for that lifestyle, having partially webbed toes, for paddling, and long and brittle fur, which makes them dry quickly on land.

Although capybaras are herbivores, and graze mainly on grass and aquatic plants, but also feed on fruit and tree bark, they are also autocoprophagous, which means that they eat their own feces to help digest the cellulose in their diet, as it is a source of bacterial gut flora. It also increases the amount of nutrients they get from their food.

It can be found in all South American countries, except for Chile. The main threat is hunting for meat and leather, and since they are generally calm and peaceful animals that are easily adaptable, and therefore are often found near humans, they are easy targets.

The illegal wildlife trade is the third most valuable illicit commerce in the world, losing only to drugs and weapons. That, along with loss of habitat by deforestation, fires, etc., result in an enormous amount of animals in need of rescuing. Only 1 in 10 animals survive trafficking! Do not support the wildlife trade!