Fun Facts About the Capybara, the World’s Largest Rodent and Newest Star of Olympic Golf

The Cincinnati Zoo has put together an adorable video that shares fun facts about the capybara, the world’s largest rodent who hails from South America, likes to spend a great deal time in the water and has been known to occasionally show up on Rio golf courses.

Often called the “water pig” for its aquatic habits, the capybara is actually a rodent, the largest rodent in the world. …Weighing up to 175 pounds the Capybara lives in South America and is the worlds largest rodent. They have webbed feet to aid in swimming. They’ve been seen around the golf course during the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio.

In 2015, director Thane Maynard introduced three capybaras to their new home in Wildlife Canyon at the Cincinnati Zoo.

Lori Dorn
Lori Dorn

Lori is a Laughing Squid Contributing Editor based in New York City who has been writing blog posts for over a decade. She also enjoys making jewelry, playing guitar, taking photos and mixing craft cocktails.