Watch baby capybaras jostle a sleeping parent in these videos filmed by Tokyo-based capybara photographer Katsuhito Watanabe. The semiaquatic mammals live at the Hitachi City Kamine Zoo in Ibaraki Prefecture.
The capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) is a mammal native to South America. It is the largest living rodent in the world. Also called chigüire, chigüiro (in Venezuela) and carpincho, it is a member of the genus Hydrochoerus, of which the only other extant member is the lesser capybara (Hydrochoerus isthmius). Its close relatives include guinea pigs and rock cavies, and it is more distantly related to the agouti, the chinchilla, and the coypu. The capybara inhabits savannas and dense forests and lives near bodies of water. It is a highly social species and can be found in groups as large as 100 individuals, but usually lives in groups of 10–20 individuals.
In this third clip, the baby capybaras enjoy their own quiet rest.
Watch more capybara videos on this site, including capybaras enjoying hot springs at Saitama Children’s Zoo.
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