Inspired by the naked mole rat (which is really not cute at all), I started looking into other members of the rodent order that might be unfamiliar to people in the U.S. Rodents sort of tend to be either/or in the cuteness department, as we view them either as pests (mice, rats, squirrels that actually try to touch you) or as adorable little shnookums (mice and rats in controlled environments, squirrels that keep a polite distance, beavers actively engaged in chewing on things, etc.) There’s a big wide world of rodents out there, so join me. Today we look at the rodents of South America.
Giant rat-squirrels
You don’t need me to tell you that capybaras, the world’s largest rodent species, are adorable.
![By Karelj (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons](http://crypticphilosopher.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/800px-Hydrochoeris_hydrochaeris_Zoo_Praha_2011-3.jpg "By Karelj (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons")
![By FinlayCox143 (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons](http://crypticphilosopher.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/800px-Capybara_at_Shepreth.jpg "By FinlayCox143 (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons")
![CaplinRous at en.wikipedia [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], from Wikimedia Commons](http://crypticphilosopher.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/800px-2007_02_CapybaraFamily.jpg "CaplinRous at en.wikipedia [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], from Wikimedia Commons")
Things that look like rabbits but aren’t
Either evolution favors long ears in certain ecological niches, or nature just isn’t that creative. Presenting the viscacha, a relative of the chinchilla boasting long ears and a fluffy tail. It has a southern variety…
![By Alexandre Buisse (Nattfodd) (self-made (http://www.alexandrebuisse.org)) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons](http://crypticphilosopher.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/800px-Bolivian_vizcacha.jpg "By Alexandre Buisse (Nattfodd) (self-made (http://www.alexandrebuisse.org)) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons")
…and a northern variety. No word on whether they get into rumbles or not.
![By Alex Lee from Miami, Fl, USA (Chinchilla Uploaded by Snowmanradio) [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons](http://crypticphilosopher.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/528px-Rodent_on_a_rock_in_South_America-8.jpg "By Alex Lee from Miami, Fl, USA (Chinchilla Uploaded by Snowmanradio) [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons")
Is that a kangaroo, or a rabbit, or a big rat?
The maras (also known as cavies), while undoubtedly adorable, sort of look like someone put disparate mammal species in a genetic blender (I think I just remotely killed several zoologists with that analogy. Sorry.) It’s still not as weird as a platypus, though.
![[[:en:User:{{{1}}}|{{{1}}}]] at the English language Wikipedia [GFDL (www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], via Wikimedia Commons](http://crypticphilosopher.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/540px-Mara_in_captivity.jpg "[[:en:User:{{{1}}}|{{{1}}}]] at the English language Wikipedia [GFDL (www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], via Wikimedia Commons")
![By Jastrow (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons](http://crypticphilosopher.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/800px-Dolichotis_patagonum_sniff_JdP.jpg "By Jastrow (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons")
![By Dolichotis_patagonum_-Temaiken_Zoo-8b.jpg: Luis Argerich derivative work: Snowmanradio [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons](http://crypticphilosopher.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/590px-Dolichotis_patagonum_-Temaiken_Zoo-8b-1c.jpg "By Dolichotis_patagonum_-Temaiken_Zoo-8b.jpg: Luis Argerich derivative work: Snowmanradio [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons")
Not to be confused with the Mara sisters, of course. Thanks for reading!
Photo credits: Hydrochoeris hydrochaeris Zoo Praha 2011-3.jpg by Karelj (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons; Capybara at Shepreth by FinlayCox143 (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons; 2007 02 CapybaraFamily.jpg by CaplinRous at en.wikipedia [GFDL or CC-BY-3.0], from Wikimedia Commons; Bolivian vizcacha by Alexandre Buisse (Nattfodd) (self-made (http://www.alexandrebuisse.org)) [GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0], via Wikimedia Commons; Rodent on a rock in South America-8.jpg by Alex Lee from Miami, Fl, USA (Chinchilla Uploaded by Snowmanradio) [CC-BY-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons; Mara in captivity.jpg by [[:en:User:{{{1}}}|{{{1}}}]] at the English language Wikipedia [GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons; Dolichotis patagonum sniff JdP.jpg by Jastrow (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons; Dolichotis patagonum -Temaiken Zoo-8b-1c.jpg by Dolichotis_patagonum_-Temaiken_Zoo-8b.jpg: Luis Argerich, derivative work: Snowmanradio [CC-BY-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons
