Capybara

The capybara, Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris, the world's largest rodent, lives in South America and Panama. It is the only species in its genus, which belongs to the family Hydrochoeridae, order Rodentia, but different rat class and rat species. The capybara, also called carpincho and water hog, has a massive body, a large head with a blunt snout, short legs, and a very small tail. It may weigh as mush as 50 kg (110 lb) and have a shoulder height of 50 cm (20 in) and a body length of 130 cm (51 in). Its hair is coarse, reddish brown and armed with strong claws. Capybaras eat only plants. They are fast runners and swim well, even under water.

The docile capybara, which may grow to the size of a sheep, is the largest rodent in the world. So the biggest rat in the world that many describe on the web or blog may not the real rat like this one, because many kind of rodent that resemble with rat but actually just other rodent type.

Gerbil or Desert Rat

Gerbil is look like rat, some of them look like hamster rat. Gerbil is small mammal of the order Redentia, people called this animal as “desert rats”. Subfamily of this rodent about 110 species, exist in African, Indian and Asian rodent, including sand rats and jirds.

Gerbils, family Cricetidae, are soft furred, burrowing rodents inhabiting and regions in Africa and Asia. They have elongated hind legs, with which they can make kangroolike leaps, and, usually, long tails. The 100 or more species are grouped into 10 or 12 genera. The fur is usually of sand or earth colors, and the larger species, Rhomborrys, may reach 200 mm (nearly 8 in) in body length. The popular American pet is the Mongolian gerbil, Meriones unguiculatus. Some species are called jirds, and one species, Pachyromys duprasi, with a short, thick tail, is also called the fat tailed mouse.


The large, naked-soled gerbil, like other gerbils, is adapted to life in arid regions all of the water it requires from the foods that make up its diet.