Clarissa, Clare and Clarence

Capybaras are the world's largest Guinea Pigs. They are in the same family and have the same features.

Capybaras are "gardeners" and via their eating habits actually help grass grow with a higher nutritional value.

This hidden talent is not their only asset. Capybaras manage to survive and flourish on a remarkably small variety of plants. The secret lies in their stomach. Capybaras have a very efficient digestive system. A capybara can extract far more nutrients from the same amount of plant life than can a white tailed deer for instance.

The dominant male has first access to the best food site, the best wallowing sites, the most parasite removing birds, and, of course, the females in estrus. The dominant males are heavily protective of the females, especially during the mating season.

The capybara is an incredibly vocal animal. They are very social creatures and spend much of the day chattering back and forth in a manner that appears to serve as a method of bond maintenance, an expression of dominance, and also as a method of general group census.

Besides hiding in the water, the capybara's main form of defence is a warning bark, usually taken up by the entire group when one animal is threatened.