We’re goin’ to the zoo, zoo, zoo

This month Becky’s Squares are focusing on odd things – you can interpret this any way you want so I am going to take you all to the zoo this month. San Diego Zoo to be precise and the photos featured will be either odd looking animals, animals with odd names, odd facts or slightly odd photos. I hope you’ll enjoy my selection.

Day Nine

Africa has hippos, and the Americas have capybaras! The capybara has something in common with the hippo: its eyes, ears, and nostrils are all found near the top of the its head. During the dry season, when fresh grasses and water plants dry up, capybaras eat reeds, grains, melons, and squashes. They also eat their own poop to get beneficial bacteria to help their stomach break down the thick fibre in their meals.

Originally thought to be a pig of some sort, we now know that the capybara is a rodent, closely related to cavies and guinea pigs. Standing 2 feet (60 cm) tall at the shoulder and built somewhat like a barrel with legs, the “capy” has long, light brown, shaggy hair, a face that looks like a beaver’s, no tail, and slightly webbed feet.

If you want to join in either daily, weekly or just on the odd occasion then please visit Becky, the only rule is that the main photo MUST be a square – that is four equal sides! You have been warned 😉

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Heyjude

I have lived in the UK for most of my life, but when young I definitely had wanderlust and even ended up living in South Africa for several years which was a wonderful experience. I now look forward to a long and leisurely retirement doing what I like most - gardening, photography, walking and travelling.

24 thoughts on “We’re goin’ to the zoo, zoo, zoo”

  3. I always think these look so cute. No wonder though it took a while to realise they are rodents, as if we saw a rat this size we’d be terrified!

      1. They’d like the Ria Formosa but not sure I can see Jo collecting the 8lbs of grass and aquatic plants they eat daily!

  5. As a former Guinea Pig owner, I think they are quite cute too. They like to eat them in South America though, and even get a Papal Dispensation to do so. 🙂
    ‘Capybara are native to South America, where the meat is considered a delicacy. Salt-cured capybara is consumed during Lent in Venezuela, where the popularity of the dish prompted the Vatican to declare that capybara isn’t meat but fish.’
    Best wishes, Pete. x

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