Title: Brehm's Life of animals : a complete natural history for popular home instruction and for the use of schools. Mammalia
Identifier: brehmslifeofanim1896breh (find matches)
Year: 1896 (1890s)
Authors: Brehm, Alfred Edmund, 1829-1884; Pechuel-Loesche, Edward, 1840-1913; Haacke, Wilhelm, 1855-1912; Schmidtlein, Richard
Subjects: Mammals; Animal behavior
Publisher: Chicago : Marquis
Contributing Library: Internet Archive
Digitizing Sponsor: Internet Archive

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THE GUINEA PIG FAMILYâWATER PIG. 365 dash of red or brownish yellow is distributed over the body, being nowhere sharply defined. Only the bristles around the mouth are decidedly black. An adult Capybara attains about the size of a year-old Pig and weighs about one hundred pounds. The length is over three feet, the height fiom the ground to the top of the shoulders about twenty inches. Distribution of The Capybara is distributed all over the Capy- South America and is found from the bara. Orinoco river to the La Plata and from the Atlantic Ocean to the foot of the Andes Mountains. Low, swampy woodland, especially water-courses and the edges of lakes and swamps, are its favorite haunts. It delights in large streams, and never leaves their vicinity unless it should some- times follow the course of small rivers or ditches emptying into much larger water-courses. In some regions it is quite numerous, and often to be en- plants and the bark of young trees and only where it exists near plantations does it sometimes make inroads on water-melons, maize, rice or sugar cares, and may then inflict considerable damage. The Capybara is a quiet animal. The first glance shows the observer that he has to deal with an extremely dull-witted and stupid creature. One never sees it playing with others of its kind. The members of a herd either graze slowly or they rest in a sitting posture. Prom time to time they turn their heads in all directions to see whether an enemy is ap- proaching. If a foe be descried they do not hurry, but run slowly toward the water When terrified they frantically rush and dive into the water with a cry. If they are not accustomed to the sight of human beings they sometimes gaze curiously at them for a long time before they scamper away. One never hears them utter any other sound than
Text Appearing After Image:
tf. â -'â >^NVk\^»7 THE CAPYBARA OR WATER PIG. This is tlie largest o( all the Rodents. It isa heavy clumsy animal which inhabits low-lying woods in the vicinity of streams or lakes, and although a favorite prey to the Jaguar on land and the Alligator in the water, the Capybaras are sometimes seen in large packs at places remote from settlements. The extremely coarse hair, heavy body and hool-like toes of these animals are well illustrated in the picture. (Hydrockaerus capybara.) countered. As is easily understood, it is less fre- quently met with in populous localities than in the wilderness. In the former it is seen only at evening or in the early morning, but one may see large num- bers of them, by day also, on the lonely little-fre- quented banks of rivers, foraging for food or sitting on their haunches like Logs. Peculiarities of Its ordinary pace in walking is slow; the Capy- its running powers of short duration; bara. when hard pressed it sometimes re- sorts to flight by means of a series of jumps. It is an excellent swimmer, however, and easily crosses streams, though it does so only when pursued or when food has become scarce on the side it occu- pies. However attached it is to a certain locality, it is sure to leave it when subject to pursuit. It has no real den, though it regularly haunts certain selected spots on the bank. Its food consists of aquatic that cry of alarm, which Azara expresses by the syl- lable "ap." This cry is so piercing, however, that one can hear it at the distance of more than a mile. The female has but one litter a year, which num- bers five or six young. The little Pigs follow their mother immediately, but do not exhibit feelings of natural affection or even much attachment for her. The Capybara The animal has of late years been in Captiv- repeatedly brought to Europe. I itu- took care of one of them for some time. It was very much attached to me, knew un- voice, came to me when I called it, was much pleased when I petted it, and followed me about like a Dog. It did not exhibit the same gentle temper to everybody : when its keeper once was opposing its disposition to wander and endeavoring to drive it home, it jumped on his chest and bit him, fortunately, however, getting more of his coat than

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