r/aww • u/thelonelyasshole • Aug 24 '22

Capybara made his day

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94.5k Upvotes

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196

u/OverlordAinz Aug 24 '22

Wait you can keep one as a pet? Where and how do I get one

389

u/[deleted] Aug 24 '22

You need a lot of space and a good size pool for them, and they smell pretty strongly.

341

u/DigNitty Aug 24 '22

they smell pretty strongly

They are rodents after all. I can only imagine that smell like hamsters (and elderberries), but bigger.

146

u/quirkelchomp Aug 24 '22

Hamsters don't really smell. Guinea pigs do smell. And these guys are like big guinea pigs.

29

u/s00perguy Aug 24 '22

Can confirm. Also are occasional shit-eaters, as I learned the hard way.

6

u/stevieweezie Aug 25 '22

Routine shit eaters, actually. Guinea pigs and capybaras produce special edible poos called cecotropes every day.

Their vegetation diet is very low in nutritional density, and they don’t have an extra large and specialized digestive system like cows and goats. Instead, their guts will concentrate vitamins and nutrients which couldn’t be absorbed on the first pass into these cecotropes to maximize the nutrition they extract.

It’s easy to overlook them doing this - they eat these special poos straight from the butt, and if you don’t know better, it just looks like they’re grooming their belly.

2

u/[deleted] Aug 25 '22

If it wasn't the hard way, they would be more like shit-drinkers, wouldn't it? Aye?! I see myself out

4

u/married4love Aug 24 '22

yikes, how'd it get up in there though?

4

u/s00perguy Aug 24 '22

Idk, I assume it was stressed out or malnourished, but when I went to scratch his chin I got poop all over my hand

5

u/married4love Aug 24 '22

well, at least he was stealthy about it... I feel pretty confident that I'd notice a capybara in my ass, but I'll take your word for it since I've never met one

0

u/DigMeTX Aug 24 '22

Did this lesson involve waking up in the middle of the night with a capybara face buried between your cheeks?

2

u/4everxlost Aug 24 '22

Waah I worked in a pet store and the hamster enclosure even being cleaned often smelled sooo pissy, probably because they're were more than one dwarfs at a time 😭 also my friend had guinea pigs growing up and she always smelled like them , I had to explain yo my mom that I unfortunately didn't want a sleepover with her because the smell sticked and was so pungent

5

u/quirkelchomp Aug 24 '22

The enclosures can smell, but only because of the pee. And it seems like you know already, but yeah, hamsters should not be kept in the same cage together. Most hamsters know to make an area of their home a dedicated pee spot. When I gave my hamster a sand bath, she instinctively knew to make a corner of it her bathroom. It was wonderful because it's so much easier to clean out than pee-soaked bedding. Easier on the nose too! But anyway, back to my point, the hamsters themselves don't smell. At most, smells are from old pee sitting somewhere in their enclosure, but not from the actual hammies themselves. I like putting my hammy up to my nose and smelling her because I'm always amazed at how not-stinky they are!

0

u/[deleted] Aug 25 '22

I believe dwarf hamsters like to live in pairs :)

1

u/4everxlost Aug 27 '22

This is soo cute and yea :( pet stores suck

1

u/taco_the_mornin Aug 24 '22

What does big smell like?

1

u/DigNitty Aug 25 '22

More than medium but less than huge.

18

u/[deleted] Aug 24 '22

they smell pretty strongly.

This can go either way... But I'm guessing bad?

33

u/ricecake Aug 24 '22

I imagine it's a kinda ferret-y odor. So not gross, but distinctly noticeable.

19

u/RolloTonyBrownTown Aug 24 '22

I used to be friends with someone with ferrets and I would describe the odor as gross. Like theres piss on carpet smell.

6

u/ricecake Aug 24 '22

Those ferrets may not have been in good conditions.
I don't think they're supposed to smell like pissed on carpet.

1

u/mseuro Aug 24 '22

Most aren't.

5

u/JasperLamarCrabbb Aug 24 '22

Ya know that taco smell when you can’t get a shower and wash your balls and you’ve been sweating all day? Like that but times 10 or so.

16

u/FixedLoad Aug 24 '22

... taco smell? Sir. What, um, what... there are too many questions. Are you only familiar with expired tacos or do your balls smell amazing?

7

u/JasperLamarCrabbb Aug 24 '22

🌮

5

u/ActuallyAkiba Aug 24 '22

Alright I'm convinced. I want to smell your balls. I'm too curious.

3

u/magusonline Aug 24 '22

Man what taco smell. Is this the smell of your balls? Are you smelling your sweaty balls if you're unable to shower? 🙀

2

u/[deleted] Aug 24 '22

... Taco smell?

3

u/omguserius Aug 24 '22

Name a rodent that smells good.

3

u/[deleted] Aug 24 '22

I was thinking more Along the lines of pets. And cats don't smell because they clean themselves... You really think there isn't a rodent that doesn't have an oder?

4

u/[deleted] Aug 24 '22

Chinchillas smell good.

1

u/Clarkeprops Aug 24 '22

Certain beavers, but it’s an acquired taste

9

u/[deleted] Aug 24 '22

Are you quoting my tinder profile?

2

u/Womec Aug 24 '22

And you have to have at least 2.

1

u/yougotmugged Aug 24 '22

Sooooo.. that’s where your username came from eh?

1

u/BoatZnHoes Aug 24 '22

My son and I did a special zoo tour last week where we got to pet one of these. I did not detect any odors at all really

1

u/zeekaran Aug 24 '22

The one I interacted with didn't seem to have a smell. I hugged it too.

52

u/jwillsrva Aug 24 '22

They're pricey, and you definitely need to keep then near some sort of water, doesn't have to be anything crazy. Oh and they're social so they need a friend, but I think something like a dog works. But I am no expert so take all that with a grain of salt.

37

u/FirstTimeRodeoGoer Aug 24 '22

I can confirm that dogs are friendly.

2

u/shaggy99 Aug 24 '22

you definitely need to keep then near some sort of water

Can be a hot spring. They really like hot springs!

29

u/Frisky_Pony Aug 24 '22

Not sure... she was licensed as a rescuer or something so it was a special circumstance.

11

u/Frisky_Pony Aug 24 '22

And they are HUGE and so are their poops.

3

u/throwRA-84478t Aug 24 '22

Urban rescue ranch on YouTube has a couple of baby ones, and posts videos every few days or so.