So, it has recently come to my attention that the capybara is not a commonly known animal. I use the name of this animal casually, as I grew up a short drive away from the Henry Vilas Zoo, which has a capybara exhibit. Only after leaving the capybara bubble of my hometown, did I realize that knowledge of this animal was not widespread (even though there are many Buzzfeed articles featuring the animal). I now feel it my civic duty to inform those who are ignorant to this amazing animal.

This is a capybara.

They are freaking adorable.

And they're also rather friendly.

According to zoologists (and what, in a perfect world, would be common knowledge), they are the world's largest known rodent. (There is no suspicion of any unknown larger rodents, but I remain hopeful).

Fully grown, they weigh between 100 and 175 pounds, which according to ModernPuppies.com, is about the same weight as a Mastiff.

Yeah, one of these guys.

That's also a very common weight for a person now that I think of it.

The capybara is also semi-aquatic. They like to swim!

They are also very majestic when they swim. See below. (Skip to like 0:20 unless you want more quality capybara content).

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They can hold their breath for around five minutes, which is like, longer than I can. Wow.

Some people have them as pets! I am insanely jealous of this.

But according to this video by Animal Planet, they're a lot of work to keep as a pet.

They've also got these giant teeth.

And they like to chew on things with them. It might be difficult to capybara-proof your house. Also depending on where you live, you need to apply for an exotic pet license. Check out the regulations in your state here or contact your local government.

While I was looking for the above picture, one of the suggested searches was "capybara teeth attack."

This is slightly concerning.

They seem perfectly friendly in all the videos, and I won't let myself be convinced otherwise.

Anyway, I'm not expecting everyone to instantly fall in love with the animal. I've introduced a couple friends and have gotten fairly mixed reactions. Some think they're cute, some are confused, and some friends were thoroughly unimpressed:

So, in the end, it is not my intent to make you fall in love with this animal. It is not my intent to make you go out and apply for a USDA license and adopt one as a pet. My goal is simply to inform the general public that the capybara exists, and I hope I have indeed done that.