Leveled Reading Research Activities Presentation ATI RE VE C K R A A A A L L L L E C C C C C N S C I E Editable Presentation hosted on Google Slides. Click to Download. Description Habitat & Range ● The capybara is the largest living ● The capybara spends a lot of time in member of the rodent family. the water. ● It is over three feet long and can weigh ● They live in southern Central as much as an adult human. America as well as South America. ● They have a stocky, pig-like body. ● They are found in savannas, ● Capybaras have blunt heads, heavy rainforests, ponds, rivers and lakes. muzzles and short, but strong legs. Capybara Unique Characteristics Reproduction Diet ● The capybara can run as ● The capybara only will mate in ● The capybara is a herbivore fast as a horse on land. the water. that only eats plant matter for nutrition. ● They are also very ● Their gestation period is 130-150 comfortable in the water. days long. ● They mainly eat grasses, They stay in the water to aquatic plants, fruits and avoid the heat of the day. ● They produce a litter of four berries. They rest around midnight young on average. and then graze before ● Birth is done on land and within a dawn. week the young can eat grass. Predators, Threats & Status Conservation Organizations Extended Video ● Many predators including jaguars, ● The International Union for the anacondas, pumas, caimans and Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is harpy eagles threaten capybaras. one of the most important ● Due to its wide distribution and conservation organizations in the large population, they are not world. endangered. ● They research the population changes of the capybara and thousands of other species to monitor how they are doing. “A Capybara’s Family” - (National Geographic) Did You Know? ● Capybaras are able to stay underwater for up to five minutes at a time. ● They are social, and often live in groups of between 10-20. ● Capybaras have webbed feet which helps their swimming ability. ● Guinea pigs are close relatives of the capybaras. ● Capybaras are picky eaters and eat mostly grass and some aquatic grass. They will regurgitate their food and chew it several times. They also eat their own poop to provide bacteria that helps in digestion. Capybara - Species Profile - Description The capybara is the largest living member of the rodent family. It is over three feet long and can weigh as much as an adult human. They have a stocky, pig-like body. Capybaras have blunt heads, heavy muzzles and short, but strong legs. Habitat & Range The capybara spends a lot of time in the water. They live in southern Central America as well as South America. They are found in savannas, rainforests, ponds, rivers and lakes. Unique Characteristics The capybara can run as fast as a horse on land. They are also very comfortable in the water and stay in it to avoid the heat of the day. They rest around midnight and then graze before dawn. Reproduction The capybara only will mate in the water. Their gestation period is 130-150 days long. They produce a litter of four young on average. Birth is done on land and within a week the young can eat grass. Diet The capybara is a herbivore that only eats plant matter for wild Facts nutrition. They mainly eat grasses, aquatic plants, fruits and Scientific Hydrochoerus berries. Name hydrochaeris Predators, Threats & Conservation Weight 75 – 150 lbs Many predators including jaguars, anacondas, pumas, caimans and harpy eagles threaten capybaras. Due to its wide distribution Length 3.5 – 4.5 ft and large population, they are not endangered. Conservation Organizations Lifespan 4 – 10 years The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is Rock Cavies, one of the most important conservation organizations in the Closest Guinea Pigs & world. They research the population changes of the capybara and Relatives Maras thousands of other species to monitor how they are doing. You can learn more at http://support.iucnredlist.org © Clark Creative Education Reflection Questions Answer the following questions in complete sentences. 1. Before you read the article, what did you know about capybaras? What new information is most interesting to you? 2. If you were describing a capybara to someone who had never heard of one, what would you say? Use information from the text. © Clark Creative Education Capybara - Species Profile - Description The capybara is the largest rodent. It can weigh as much as an adult human. They have a stocky, pig- like body. They have a blunt head and short, strong legs. Habitat & Range The capybara spends a lot of time in the water. They live in Central America and South America. They are found in rainforests, ponds, rivers and lakes. Unique Characteristics The capybara can run as fast as a horse. They stay in the water during the day so they don’t get hot. They rest around midnight and then graze before dawn. Reproduction Females are pregnant for 4 to 5 months. They produce a litter of four young. Birth is done on land. Within a week the young can eat grass. Diet wild Facts The capybara only eats plant matter for nutrition. They Scientific Hydrochoerus eat grasses, fruits and berries. Name hydrochaeris Predators, Threats & Conservation Weight 75 – 150 lbs Animals that prey on capybaras include snakes and jaguars. They are not in danger of becoming extinct. Length 3.5 – 4.5 ft Conservation Organizations Lifespan 4 – 10 years The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is an important group. They study the capybara Rock Cavies, Closest and thousands of other species. You can learn more at Guinea Pigs & Relatives http://support.iucnredlist.org Maras © Clark Creative Education Reflection Questions Answer the following questions in complete sentences. 1. What is the most interesting thing about capybaras? Use information from the text. 2. How would you describe capybaras to someone who had never heard of one? © Clark Creative Education .