The Fantastical Capybara

June 25, 2009 5:12 PM

The Fantastical Capybara (Via)
posted by JeffL (23 comments total)

Tip: don't wash them in hot water or they'll turn into guinea pigs.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 5:37 PM on June 25, 2009 [10 favorites]

This is what you get when you flush hamsters down the toilet.
posted by leotrotsky at 5:46 PM on June 25, 2009 [3 favorites]

I enjoyed reading that. Thanks!
posted by metastability at 5:47 PM on June 25, 2009

That's fun. After a grade school project my kids are totally into capybaras. There was a great documentary on them one time too on Discovery or somesuch. Really fascinating animals.

And for Toronto residents: they have 2 or 3 in the High Park zoo. Swing by and see one up semi-close.
posted by GuyZero at 5:52 PM on June 25, 2009

Hundred Pound Rat!
posted by Tube at 5:57 PM on June 25, 2009

Very many years ago, the Bolivians were starving so.
They had rats as big as ponies there.
They asked the Pope to declare them fish.

We thank the Pope for granting us this wish.
When Friday comes, we'll all call rats fish.
We catch them with a net, kill with the gun.
We'll call it all forgotten when we're done.

— Rasputina, "Rats," regarding the classification of capybaras
posted by adipocere at 6:05 PM on June 25, 2009 [5 favorites]

I guess that one is cool and all, but it's no Furry Moist Avenger.
posted by Salmonberry at 6:06 PM on June 25, 2009 [2 favorites]

That was great!
posted by iamkimiam at 6:32 PM on June 25, 2009

SPOON! Er, I mean, SPEAK!
posted by filthy light thief at 6:59 PM on June 25, 2009 [1 favorite]

OMFG capybara!!!

*ahem, puts on serious face* I mean, I'm not so sure that guy enjoys being a pet. Seems kind of recalcitrant and annoyed. And if he's like other rodentia he's probably a social creature which would require at least two for best practices. They're also marshy-mud dwellers. He probably doesn't like walking on concrete or carpet or being on a leash.


Here's his YouTube page.
posted by loquacious at 7:01 PM on June 25, 2009

My capybara's breath smells coprophagic. I wouldn't want those want those teeth in me.
posted by tellurian at 7:17 PM on June 25, 2009

Worse! I see it was biting bum.
posted by tellurian at 7:20 PM on June 25, 2009

I was told I was not allowed to have a capybara as a pet, even after I insisted I'd take good care of him.

I seriously didn't even know that people had these as pets. I always liked seeing them at the zoo. They always have this "Yes, I'm a giant prehistoric-looking rodent. Do you have a problem with that? Can I just go eat some grass now?" look on their faces. (And the Caplin Rous is no different on that account.) I'm actually not sure if I approve of trying to domesticate these guys, but I guess it's not much different than a hamster (except, you know, bigger) and Caplin Rous seems well-loved and taken care of.

I just hope this doesn't start a trend. I don't want to see any photos of some Hollywood starlet walking her capybara down the street.
posted by darksong at 7:29 PM on June 25, 2009

"When he’s happy he sounds like a Geiger counter."

Neat!
posted by TheGoldenOne at 8:15 PM on June 25, 2009

I have long dreamed of having an R.O.U.S. as a pet. I would gladly have a Capybara, or even more exotically, a Patagonian Mara. My bird, who has a twitter account (what? it's twitter, he's a bird, it's natural!), was recently followed by a lady in Seattle that has a Capybara named Dobby as a pet. That, and this post, has re-ignited a fervor to get a very large, ineffably cute, rodent as a pet primarily for the purpose of putting the fear of god into the stupid cat I also live with AND having a gigantic rodent with which to walk down the street.
Alas, I feel that, like chickens, these are dreams unattainable without a yard. le sigh.

although it should be noted that i also have degus, which being a much smaller, yet still ineffably cute ,rodent already put the fear of god into the big hairy pussy that we call our cat ... so maybe I don't really need an R.O.U.S..
posted by Cold Lurkey at 8:29 PM on June 25, 2009

That's a coincidence Cold Lurkey. If you look at her daughter's blog which I linked to above, you'll find the story of them taking home a deformed mara. Unfortunately it didn't make it.
posted by tellurian at 9:40 PM on June 25, 2009

And according to the daughter's Suicide Girls profile (warning: Suicide Girls link, though there's nothing dirty there), capybaras make her sad. :(
posted by dammitjim at 10:18 PM on June 25, 2009

I think it asked me to post a comment before I could ask another question, well, here's to rules!
posted by Benzle at 10:48 PM on June 25, 2009

"Of course, you're not a dog! You're a wonderful lovable rodent! And there's nothing wrong with that! No, if that's your lifestyle choice then we'll stand behind you all the way." (props to Salmonberry and filthy light thief)
posted by moonbiter at 12:10 AM on June 26, 2009

I lived in South America for a while, in an area with an indigenous population*. I discovered that they're quite tasty**.

*both people and capybaras
** the capybaras, not the people. just to be clear.
posted by dowcrag at 4:00 AM on June 26, 2009

I'd just like to add that cultural context is everything. I've never eaten one in the UK.
posted by dowcrag at 4:00 AM on June 26, 2009

Don't forget that the Catholic Church once classified the capybara as a type of fish so that it could be eaten during Lent.
posted by jonp72 at 8:28 AM on June 26, 2009 [1 favorite]

Soooo cute!
posted by marginaliana at 12:47 PM on June 26, 2009