Hydrochoerus

Hydrochoerus
Temporal range: Pliocene - Recent
~3.6–0 Ma
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H. hydrochaeris with a cattle tyrant on its back
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Caviidae
Subfamily: Hydrochoerinae
Genus: Hydrochoerus
Brisson, 1762
Type species
Sus hydrochaeris[1]
Linnaeus, 1766
Species

† H. ballesterensis
† H. gaylordi
† H. hesperotiganites
H. hydrochaeris
H. isthmius

Ranges of capybara (green) and lesser capybara (red)

The genus Hydrochoerus contains two living and three extinct species of rodents from South America, the Caribbean island of Grenada, California and Panama.[1] Capybaras are the largest living rodents in the world. The genus name is derived from the Greek ὕδωρ (hýdor) 'water' plus χοίρος (choíros) 'pig'.

  1. ^ a b Woods, C.A.; Kilpatrick, C.W. (2005). "Infraorder Hystricognathi". In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 1538–1600. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.