People are Surprised to Learn That Capybaras Can Swim Majestically Under Water

They move with much more grace underwater than they ever show on land.

Capybaras, everyone’s favorite gigantic rodent, are becoming popular on the Internet after a video demonstrating their exceptional swimming ability received over 100,000 likes. The video shows the animal bobbing around underwater with far more elegance than they do on land.

Capybaras are the biggest rodents in the planet and are endemic to South America. Despite their appearance, capybaras are good swimmers that appear to enjoy their time in the water. They can hold their breath for around five minutes underwater and frequently take naps in the water or along riverbanks to remain cool. They have webbed feet and streamlined face traits that let them to swim away from possible predators underwater swiftly.

Of course, once they’ve learned to swim.

A Capybara research even looked at whether they prefer hot showers. They appear to, flocking to hot tubs set out for them in a Japanese zoo, but the study published in Nature examined their facial expressions to attempt to quantify how much they enjoyed their wonderful, soothing baths. They discovered that they really loved them, so thank you. They even discovered that the baths improved their skin problems and that they maintained the heat effectively thereafter.

“The findings of our study demonstrated that the eye score was valuable for Capybaras as a measure of comfortable condition,” the scientists said, “despite the fact that there were no significant changes in ear position.”