Capybaras thrive, even near humans, because they’re not picky eaters

The rodents’ flexible diet has helped them adapt to human-modified environments

A photo of several capybaras walking through a grassy park area in the foreground while in the background are four identical tall buildings seen above the trees.

As humans have broken up ecosystems across South America, capybaras have still thrived, possibly by expanding what they eat. Here, a herd of the rodents of unusual size grazes in a park in Curitiba, Brazil.

Luciana Calvin/Moment Open/Getty Images

Capybaras, the world’s largest rodent, naturally live in vast grasslands, wetlands and rivers throughout South America.