What makes a rodent a rodent? Their teeth which grow continuously so, must be constantly worn down by gnawing, eating abrasive foods, burrowing, and collecting bedding. Rabbits, rats, voles, marmots, and squirrels are members of the order Rodentia ( from the Latin 'rodere' that means to gnaw), which makes up 40% of mammal species.
Looking like super-sized guinea pigs, the largest rodent in the world can weigh up to 150 pounds, can run as fast as a horse, and lives a semi-aquatic lifestyle. In South America, Capybaras are highly social, often living in herds of up to twenty individuals. They mix well with other species too. In a symbiotic relationship, birds ride atop the rodents benefitting from insects the creatures disperse while helping out the capybara by eating ticks and other parasites in their pelts.
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