Capybaras

Objectives:

• Students will be able to describe the physical characteristics of capybaras.

• Students will be able to identify the behavioral characteristics of capybaras.

• Students will be able to identify capybaras as the largest living rodents.

• Students will be able to describe how capybaras communicate

Suggested Grades:

3rd Grade - 4th Grade - 5th Grade

Lesson Procedure:

Print the reading comprehension worksheet passage and questions (see below).

Students should read the passage silently, then answer the questions. Teachers may also use the text as part of a classroom lesson plan.

Lesson Excerpt:

Capybaras are the largest living rodents in the world. They look like giant guinea pigs and can weigh up to 140 pounds. (In contrast, an adult guinea pig weighs between 5 and 10 pounds.) Adult capybaras are more than four feet long. On average, females are slightly larger than males. These large rodents have slightly webbed feet and do not have tails. They are usually reddish-brown in color.

Capybaras are semi-aquatic mammals, meaning that they spend a lot of time in or near water. They are native to South America and are found in thick forests where there are lakes, rivers, ponds or swamps. Capybaras live in social groups of 10 to 30 or more animals.

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