Giant CapybaraNeochoerus pinckneyi
The Giant Capybara is one of the largest rodent species ever to have lived! Neochoerus pinckneyi (Pinckney’s New Hog) is an extinct Capybara species from the southern half of North America. It is known from Florida, South Carolina, Texas, Arizona and Central America. 
Weighing about 200lbs., it was twice as big as today’s Capybara. A semi-aquatic mammal feeding on plants that lived in or near the water in warm-climate environments.
Their cheek teeth were formed with vertical enamel plates sandwiched together and were several inches long.
Its modern descendants are the smaller Capybara now living in South America and are the largest living rodents today. They are considered excellent swimmers and usually live in groups of 10 or more individuals. They reach sexual maturity at 18 months with litters of 5 to 8 young at a gestation period of 5 months. The young are about 4 lbs. at birth and are weaned around 16 weeks. This huge rodent lived about 1.8 Million Years ago and became extinct about 11 Thousand Years ago. Fossils of this Extinct Giant Rodent have been found in Suwannee Co., Brevard Co., Palm Beach Co., and other localities in Florida. Another smaller species of Capybara, from the Late Pliocene of Florida, Neochoerus dichroplax, is considered the oldest known Capybara fossil from Florida. The oldest Capybara fossil from North America, Neochoerus cordobai, is from Guanajuato, Mexico. American Lion Archaeohippus Bear Dog Cave Lion Columbian Mammoth Dire Wolf Fossil Manatee Fossil Tapir Giant Armadillo Giant Beaver Glyptodont Gomphotheres Harlan's Ground Sloth Mastodon Miocene Rhino Parahippus Saber-Toothed Cats Scimitar Cat Woolly Mammoth Woolly Rhino Back to Prehistoric Mammals Leave Giant Capybara / Go to Home Page
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