Capybara - Capybara (English spelling)

It is a member of the Capybara family of the Rodentia order of the Mammalia class. It is found widely from eastern Panama to eastern Argentina. Its head and body length is 130 cm, and its tail is vestigial. It stands 50 cm tall at the shoulder, and weighs 50 kg for males and 60 kg for females. It is the largest rodent in the world, and its appearance resembles that of a guinea pig with longer limbs. It has four toes on its front feet and three on its back feet, its claws are hoof-like, and its back toes are webbed. The upper part of its body is covered with coarse brown hair, and the underside is yellowish brown. It is semi-aquatic, living in forests near rivers, lakes, marshes, and wetlands, living in groups or families of about 20 individuals, and is mainly active in the early morning or evening. It is an excellent swimmer and can dive, and its main diet consists of aquatic plants and grass that grows near water. The gestation period is 15 to 20 weeks, and they give birth to 2 to 8 young once a year during the rainy season. Their meat is delicious and edible, and their hide is soft like deer hide, and does not harden even when washed with water. The Panamanian subspecies is a little smaller, called the Panamacapibara or Carpincho H. h. isthmius , and weighs around 30 kilograms.

[Tsuchiya Kimiyuki]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

哺乳(ほにゅう)綱齧歯(げっし)目カピバラ科の動物。パナマ東部からアルゼンチン東部にかけて広く分布する。頭胴長130センチメートル、尾は痕跡(こんせき)的である。肩高は50センチメートルで、体重は雄50キログラム、雌60キログラム。世界最大の齧歯類で、外形は、モルモットの四肢を長くした姿に似る。前足に4指、後足に3指があり、つめはひづめ状で、後指には水かきが発達している。体上面は茶褐色の粗毛に覆われ、下面は黄褐色。半水生で、川や湖沼、湿地帯などが近くにある森林にすみ、20頭ぐらいの群れあるいは家族で生活し、おもに早朝または夕刻に活動する。水泳が巧みで潜水もし、水生植物や水辺に生える草を主食とする。妊娠期間は15～20週で、年1回雨期に2～8子を産む。肉は美味で食用となり、皮もシカ皮に似て軟らかく、しかも水で洗っても硬化しない。パナマの亜種はやや小形で、パナマカピバラまたはカルピンチョH. h. isthmiusとよばれ、体重は30キログラム前後である。

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