What is the second largest rodent in the world, the capybara is first?
Beaver Beaver The beaver (genus Castor) is a large, primarily nocturnal, semiaquatic rodent. "Castor" includes two extant species, the North American beaver ("Castor canadensis") (native to North America) and Eurasian beaver ("Castor fiber") (Eurasia). Beavers are known for building dams, canals, and lodges (homes). They are the second-largest rodent in the world (after the capybara). Their colonies create one or more dams to provide still, deep water to protect against predators, and to float food and building material. The North American beaver population was once more than 60 million, but as of 1988 was 6–12 million. This population decline is the
Capybara Capybara The capybara ("Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris") is a mammal native to South America. It is the largest living rodent in the world. Also called chigüire, chigüiro (in Venezuela) and carpincho, it is a member of the genus "Hydrochoerus", of which the only other extant member is the lesser capybara ("Hydrochoerus isthmius"). Its close relatives include guinea pigs and rock cavies, and it is more distantly related to the agouti, the chinchilla, and the coypu. The capybara inhabits savannas and dense forests and lives near bodies of water. It is a highly social species and can be found in groups as large