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There are a lot of rodents in the whole world. Some of them have huge sizes, and the others look strange for us. However, it is fun to talk about them and to feel amazed with those God’s creations. Let’s check these 7 great rodents with their mega size (in rodent’s standard):
1. Capybara
Capybara – Photo via www.commons.wikimedia.org
Capybara is the biggest rodent in the world with its 2 feet in height (it is about 60 centimeters). They seem like “a beaver without beaver’s-tail” or “a pig without the snout.” Although they have a huge size, the capybaras are calm animal. Capybara as if a hippo of America. Just like a hippo, a capybara also love to stay underwater for a few minutes to hide from predators. Uniquely, capybara’s eyes, ears, and nostrils are all located on the top of capybara’s head. And, do you know, hippo’s too! However, when you see a capybara, you will not think as if you see a hippo. You will exactly differ them.
2. Phoberomys Pattersoni
Phoberomys Pattersoni – Photo via rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org
If capybara’s height is about 60 centimeters, then Phoberomys pattersoni is ten times of it. Furthermore, Phoberomys pattersoni’s weight is about 700 kilograms. While, capybara’s is 23 kilograms in average. Consequently, Phoberomys pattersoni is crowned as the largest rodent that walked on the earth, ever. “Oh, wait! Did you say that capybara is the biggest rodent in the world? Now, you say that Phoberomys pattersoni is the biggest. Which one is true?” Maybe this question is flashed in your mind. However, those statements are true. Capybara is the biggest rodent that still live in this world until now. Meanwhile, Phoberomys pattersoni lived in this wild world until eight million years ago, in Venezuela.
3. Laotian Giant Flying Squirrel
Laotian Giant Flying Squirrel – Photo via www.sci-news.com
“Oh, come on guys! Let’s talk about the living animals only. Don’t talk about the prehistoric animals!” Alright, now we are back to the present time and this rodent will amaze you. Its length is about 108 centimeters and, if you are lucky, you can find this rodent in Laos. You really need that luck because they are very rare, nobody knows how many exist now. Then, not only it is huge, but it also can fly! Furthermore, this strange rodent doesn’t have wings. So, how can they fly? Laotian giant flying squirrel has a membrane thru their ankle to wrist. This membrane acts more like a parachute than the wings. So, actually, they don’t fly, but glide.
4. Grasscutter
Grasscutter – Photo via www.mofa.gov.gh
Grasscutter is a very popular rodent in Ghana. Its size is between a rat and a beaver. Actually, grasscutter comes from West Africa. However, because Ghana’s people love grasscutter’s meat, then the government make a grasscutter farming project. At first, although they love to eat grasscutter, they don’t think that it can be farmed. By this program, Ghana’s government held some training and caring for grasscutter farming. Now, the farmers stated that they prefer to keep some grasscutters than a goat. If a goat gets out from their cage, they can destroy people’s thing. Meanwhile, the grasscutters don’t.
5. Jamaican Coney
Jamaican Coney – Photo via www.galleryhip.com
Jamaican coney, or also known as Jamaican hutia, is a rabbit-sized endemic rodent. It has a large head, short ears, with the black or reddish-brown hairs. They are nocturnal and very shy, love to eat fruits, vegetables, or seed. However, the facts that they also enjoy Spanish needle, Guinea grass, bananas, and oranges are so much interesting. Obviously, animals love to try some culinary adventures! By the way, Jamaican coney is listed as a protected animal because their status is endangered. At present, half of coney species in this world are extinct. Their threats are about habitat loss which is caused by deforestation, domesticated animals, development, and human.
6. Cape Porcupine
Cape Porcupine – Photo via www.blog.goway.com
Porcupine or hedgehog is famous with its needle-like fur. However, a cape porcupine becomes famous not only by its fur, but also from its size. They can grow up to 27 kilograms. It makes this strange rodent the third-largest living rodents, after capybara and beaver. Like other rodents, a cape porcupine also has a nocturnal life. They go out from their ‘home’ to find some foods at night. A cape porcupine loves plants as their food, especially the salty food. Anyway, they have poor eyesight, so they use their excellence sense of smell to find their food.
7. Beaver
Beaver – Photo via www.en.wikipedia.org
In the previous points, we often compare those rodents with beaver. Now, we will talk about the beaver itself. As we know, the beaver likes to make a dam and they live there with their family. The scientists noticed that beaver is a loyal animal. They get married only with one mate for a whole life. Then, they never move their family house, except if there is a special case. They stay in the same house since their marriage until their death. As long as they live, they constantly deepen their dam. The deepest dam which is ever built by the beavers is the 850 meters dam in northern Alberta. It was catched by satellite image in 2007. The scientists believe that multiple generations of beavers have been working on this dam since the 1970s.
That’s all, 7 rodents with their mega size (in rodent’s standard). Instead of size matter, some of them has a strange characteristic (such as a flying rodent), shape, or behavior. It makes them become a monster for some people. However, most of the rodents above are increasingly endangered. Therefore, it’s being important for us to contribute to their preservation, at least by not disturbing their habitat or even their life.
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