Animals sitting on capybaras
January 18, 2014 4:46 AM   Subscribe

 
Why do animals sit on capybaras? Are these wild animals, and is it natural behaviour?
posted by rubber duck at 5:13 AM on January 18, 2014


If I were an animal with access to a capybara that would let me sit on it, I would sit on that capybara, and so would you.
posted by Faint of Butt at 5:16 AM on January 18, 2014 [47 favorites]


All I want to be in life is a squirrel monkey sitting on top of a capybara.
posted by Katemonkey at 5:27 AM on January 18, 2014 [1 favorite]


Also, I don't think that capybara is sitting...
posted by Katemonkey at 5:29 AM on January 18, 2014 [1 favorite]


Thanks for this. I love capybaras, or is it capybarii, capybaren? Whatever, I love them.
posted by Literaryhero at 5:34 AM on January 18, 2014



Why do animals sit on capybaras? Are these wild animals, and is it natural behaviour?


A capybara could be a wild animal but really it is anything or anybody not giving a fuck if someone wants to alight on their back 40 as long as they are mellow.

For example i work with a capybara named Larry at the office. I've never seen anyone or anything sitting on Larry but it would not shock me.
posted by Colonel Panic at 5:38 AM on January 18, 2014 [11 favorites]


Seriously, not for lols.... I love the internet.
posted by chasles at 5:55 AM on January 18, 2014


I guess that's why they're called spider monkeys.... *shudder*
posted by oulipian at 6:29 AM on January 18, 2014 [4 favorites]


See, now I want one.... and you will too.
posted by HuronBob at 6:41 AM on January 18, 2014 [4 favorites]


I love a capy. But they are very commonly eaten in Brazil. My wife works with a Brazilian guy who said his mum roasts a 'totally delicious' capy at Christmas.
posted by colie at 6:43 AM on January 18, 2014


Awww, roasted...

Totally want a live Capy pillow. Probably quite stinky and not potty trainable but still, what a great pillow.
posted by sammyo at 6:54 AM on January 18, 2014


For a moment I processed Capybara as Chupacabra, and rolled my eyes. Then when I clicked the link and saw the pics, I thought "Hey, those aren't chupacabras!"

As if I know exactly what such imaginary creatures look like.

Need more coffee....
posted by General Tonic at 6:56 AM on January 18, 2014 [8 favorites]


The capybara is the mechanical bull of the monkey world.
posted by Perfectibilist at 7:05 AM on January 18, 2014 [6 favorites]


They sit on top of the capybara because dangling underneath it would be undignified.
posted by this is a thing at 7:09 AM on January 18, 2014 [12 favorites]


Having seen these pictures of animals on capybaras, I feel fulfilled in that way that a whole in myself that I had been previously unaware of has suddenly, though not unpleasantly been filled. The space where the whole used to be feels warm. Warm and fuzzy.
posted by Ghidorah at 7:11 AM on January 18, 2014 [1 favorite]


Evidently, in the animal world, if you are sitting on a capybara, you are officially "just hanging out, man".
posted by djrock3k at 7:22 AM on January 18, 2014


Whatever to all this. We've been there, done that. Cute cute Internet.

What there needs to be is a Tumblr page of capybaras sitting on birds. That right there, is one dignified bird tableau.
posted by Lipstick Thespian at 7:25 AM on January 18, 2014


caracara capybara


I just like saying that.
posted by eye of newt at 7:26 AM on January 18, 2014 [1 favorite]


No matter what is sitting on it, or how many, the capybara maintains its dignity. That is impressive. I would not look dignified if I had a monkey or a duck or a caracara sitting on me.
posted by rtha at 7:34 AM on January 18, 2014 [5 favorites]


Somebody write a song for this, quick, before Parry Gripp gets there!
posted by moonmilk at 7:49 AM on January 18, 2014 [2 favorites]


Capybara fans might also enjoy Capybaras that look like Rafael Nadal.
posted by Lorc at 7:52 AM on January 18, 2014 [3 favorites]


When I went to the zoo in Guadalajara, there were capybaras in almost every exhibit, just hanging out. In with the llamas, in with the monkeys, in with the water buffalo, everywhere. Now I know why - they are providing sitting areas for whatever birds/small animals pass through.
posted by Fig at 8:07 AM on January 18, 2014


Capybara have a look different than camels in that capybara express dignified pride in which is mingled no disdain for the object under their regard.

Alack, an undomesticated animal weighing up to 150 pounds and growing to be four feet long that can be bitey does not make a good pet.
posted by winna at 8:17 AM on January 18, 2014 [1 favorite]


It's turtles all the way down.
Wait. Look down there.
Right at the bottom.
That's a capybara.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 8:24 AM on January 18, 2014 [36 favorites]


When I went to the zoo in Guadalajara, there were capybaras in almost every exhibit, just hanging out. In with the llamas, in with the monkeys, in with the water buffalo, everywhere. Now I know why - they are providing sitting areas for whatever birds/small animals pass through.

No, it's that if the zoo put all its capybaras in one enclosure, they'd end up with a capybara stack 30-50 animals high.
posted by sebastienbailard at 8:27 AM on January 18, 2014 [5 favorites]


My favorite is "Speak" from The Tick cartoon.
posted by Renoroc at 8:39 AM on January 18, 2014 [5 favorites]


On the internet nobody knows if you are sitting on a capybara.
posted by srboisvert at 8:39 AM on January 18, 2014 [4 favorites]


With all due respect to my fellow New Hampsherite, I believe capybaras make good neighbors.
posted by yerfatma at 8:59 AM on January 18, 2014


As far as I am concerned capybaras are ROUSes in real life. And that makes me happy.

Your tags, I have seen and appreciated them. They also make me happy.
posted by 1f2frfbf at 9:04 AM on January 18, 2014 [5 favorites]


Here's a good tumblr with lots of animals riding upon other animals:
http://animals-riding-animals.tumblr.com/
posted by zscore at 9:29 AM on January 18, 2014 [1 favorite]


No matter what is sitting on it, or how many, the capybara maintains its dignity. That is impressive. I would not look dignified if I had a monkey or a duck or a caracara sitting on me.

If your nose made up a third of your body mass, you'd have immense gravitas, too.
posted by GenjiandProust at 9:37 AM on January 18, 2014 [9 favorites]


When I was 7 my family moved from New Jersey to Florida. I was a kid with a lot of irrational fears and a serious resistance to change, so I was pretty upset.

During our first week in this terrifying new state, I got to experience flash flooding, electrical storms, and insane humidity. I mostly hid under the dining room table. When the weather cleared up over the weekend, my parents took me out to dinner near the beach to convince me that Florida had some natural beauty to recommend it. We pulled into a parking space, and I thoroughly lost my shit. I started screaming and could not be calmed down. Parked next to us was a pickup truck containing an actual, living, breathing ROUS.

They'd lied. My parents had lied to me when they (repeatedly, exasperatedly) told me those nightmare creatures didn't exist. Not only had they lied to me—they then moved us to a state where people were allowed to cart around their pet ROUS in public! It didn't help that my parents couldn't tell me what the animal actually was, as neither of them had ever encountered a capybara before. They resorted to dragging their mid-meltdown child through the parking lot and asking other restaurant patrons what the hell the animal in the truck was. "Oh that? That's just a capybara." JUST a capybara? Great. I couldn't wait to spend the next ten years of my life encountering "just" capybaras and "just" lemurs on leashes and "just" tigers in chicken wire cages in this insane state.

In conclusion: fuck a bunch of capybaras, but really, fuck Florida.
posted by ausdemfenster at 9:51 AM on January 18, 2014 [12 favorites]


Also previously.
posted by homunculus at 10:18 AM on January 18, 2014 [1 favorite]


This one is particularly adorable.
posted by immlass at 10:57 AM on January 18, 2014


I have earned a surprising amount of respect for capybaras with their aforementioned ability to remain dignified while being rested on by half of the animal kingdom. I've only ever known them as jaguar and ocelot food.
posted by quiet earth at 11:00 AM on January 18, 2014


Why do animals sit on capybaras? Are these wild animals, and is it natural behaviour?

Even other capybaras like to sit on capybaras so I'd say the word is out amongst the animals: capys make good seats.
posted by scalefree at 11:50 AM on January 18, 2014


I love capybaras, or is it capybarii, capybaren?


From the Greek: Capybaroi.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 12:03 PM on January 18, 2014 [1 favorite]


ponyrats
posted by elizardbits at 12:11 PM on January 18, 2014 [4 favorites]


Cappies bara.
posted by this is a thing at 12:54 PM on January 18, 2014 [5 favorites]


the best thing i found out is that spider monkeys are symbotic with caps: pic in the article is amazing
posted by PinkMoose at 2:00 PM on January 18, 2014 [1 favorite]


@ausdemfenster where in Florida did you live that you saw this stuff?! I was born in Daytona Beach and lived in DeLand for a long time and never saw anything like that.
posted by gucci mane at 3:08 PM on January 18, 2014


gucci mane, this was the late '80s outside of Tampa (Pasco and Pinellas counties). It's suburban-ed up a lot since then, but you can still swim with a tiger.
posted by ausdemfenster at 3:51 PM on January 18, 2014


This absolutely made my day.

The next time I have a flat tire, I will sit calmly and wait until a passing capybara ambles by.
posted by susiswimmer at 4:10 PM on January 18, 2014 [1 favorite]




"The ROUS Foundation was founded in fond memory of Caplin Rous, the World’s Most Famous Capybara."
posted by Daddy-O at 1:01 PM on January 19, 2014 [1 favorite]


Damn those capybaras look comfortable.
posted by chisel at 5:39 AM on January 21, 2014 [1 favorite]


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