Hydrochoerus
| Hydrochoerus | |
|---|---|
| H. hydrochaeris with a cattle tyrant on its back | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Caviidae |
| Subfamily: | Hydrochoerinae |
| Genus: | Hydrochoerus Brisson, 1762 |
| Type species | |
| Sus hydrochaeris Linnaeus, 1766 | |
| Species | |
|
† H. ballesterensis | |
| Ranges of capybara (green) and lesser capybara (red) | |
The genus Hydrochoerus contains two living and three extinct species of rodents from South America, the Caribbean island of Grenada, California and Panama. Capybaras are the largest living rodents in the world. The genus name is derived from the Ancient Greek ὕδωρ (hýdor) 'water' plus χοίρος (choíros) 'pig'.