The Sacramento Zoo announced that a litter of capybara pups was born earlier this month.Officials said the zoo’s female capybara, Peppermint Patty, gave birth to a litter of six pups on April 18.Zoo staff had been keeping an eye on Peppermint Patty through her pregnancy over the past five months. All pups have shown normal behavior and have explored their surroundings with their mom.Guests can already see the litter in their habitat at the zoo.A typical litter of capybaras typically includes between five and eight pups, according to the zoo.Officials said capybaras are born precocial, meaning that they are able to fend for themselves. The litter of pups are already walking and will be able to eat solid food alongside their mother’s milk around a week after birth, officials said. The pups will not be weaned until they are 3 or 4 months old.Peppermint Patty previously had a litter on Oct. 27. Those capybaras are living in a different habitat at the zoo, as they are now weaned and independent from their mom, according to the zoo.Capybaras are considered the largest rodent in the world and native to South and Central America. They’re typically 3 to 4 feet long and weigh between 60 to 170 pounds.They’re semi-aquatic creatures meaning they’re able to adapt to life both on land and in the water. Capybaras typically eat grasses, aquatic plants, squashes and melons and their diet can change depending on dry or wet seasons.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
The Sacramento Zoo announced that a litter of capybara pups was born earlier this month.
Officials said the zoo’s female capybara, Peppermint Patty, gave birth to a litter of six pups on April 18.
Zoo staff had been keeping an eye on Peppermint Patty through her pregnancy over the past five months. All pups have shown normal behavior and have explored their surroundings with their mom.
Guests can already see the litter in their habitat at the zoo.
A typical litter of capybaras typically includes between five and eight pups, according to the zoo.
Officials said capybaras are born precocial, meaning that they are able to fend for themselves.
The litter of pups are already walking and will be able to eat solid food alongside their mother’s milk around a week after birth, officials said. The pups will not be weaned until they are 3 or 4 months old.
Peppermint Patty previously had a litter on Oct. 27. Those capybaras are living in a different habitat at the zoo, as they are now weaned and independent from their mom, according to the zoo.
Capybaras are considered the largest rodent in the world and native to South and Central America. They’re typically 3 to 4 feet long and weigh between 60 to 170 pounds.
They’re semi-aquatic creatures meaning they’re able to adapt to life both on land and in the water. Capybaras typically eat grasses, aquatic plants, squashes and melons and their diet can change depending on dry or wet seasons.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel