There's a highly favored "socialite" animal among other creatures.
Just how popular is it among other animals?
Rumor has it that when it appears, other birds, ducks, and even monkeys flock to interact with it, and even crocodiles will obediently lie down when they see it.
Why is it so well-liked?
People believe that, firstly, it has a very gentle temperament, extremely laid-back; if it were a bit smarter, it could probably go meditate in a temple.
But besides that, there's another very important reason why animals adore it so much—it's because its feces have quite a pleasant taste for many animals, making it a rare delicacy!
With this unique skill, it becomes a bona fide "social butterfly" in the animal kingdom. Whether flying in the sky, running on land, or swimming in the water, all kinds of animals can become "old friends" with it, eagerly waiting by its side to enjoy its feces.
So what animal possesses such charm that numerous predators submit to its feces?
This creature, which becomes a "socialite" by virtue of its feces, is called the capybara. It's a mammal living in the Amazon basin, preferring to dwell near water and usually living in family groups.
Despite being mammals, capybara pups only consume mother's milk for a few days before starting to eat grass, and in more extreme cases, they might only suckle for a few hours.
They are incredibly laid-back creatures, representing the epitome of "emotional stability." They only deviate from this demeanor to swiftly flee into the water when they sense danger, even diving deep and hiding among underwater vegetation.
Capybaras are staunch vegetarians, with their diet mainly consisting of aquatic plants, terrestrial grasses, and fruits. Of course, when food is abundant, they become selective eaters, favoring tender shoots of various plants.
To find better food, wild capybaras often spend the entire day foraging. Once satiated, they lay down to leisurely enjoy their time.
Capybaras lack digestive enzymes to break down fiber in their food, so they rely on various bacteria in their digestive tract to ferment and decompose food. However, once these partially digested materials enter the large intestine, they can no longer be absorbed.
This is because capybaras' digestive tracts are not as lengthy as those of many other herbivores, so most of what they ingest exits undigested. Thus, capybara feces still contain abundant nutrients.
With such nutritious offerings, capybaras themselves wouldn't pass them up. After all, foraging for food takes a considerable amount of effort, so they need to absorb as many nutrients as possible.
Therefore, capybaras also eat their own feces. Of course, being near the source, capybaras get first dibs on the "fresh" ones.
Though this habit may seem unseemly, it's quite practical. The nutrients and beneficial bacteria in the feces are reabsorbed by the capybaras, a process that occurs three times before the feces are truly devoid of nutrients.
But eating comes with a bit of trouble for them—since they expel what they ingest quite rapidly, capybaras have a poor sense of satiety. Coupled with being the largest rodents, they'll eat continuously whenever there's food available.
If they live in areas with abundant food, this isn't an issue. But during times of scarcity, this eating pattern could potentially lead them to starve. So, capybaras eating their own feces is largely for survival.
For many animals, getting the first batch of capybara feces is a rare treat, and the softer feces are even more sought after. Capybaras eat them themselves, leaving other animals out of luck.
Though the idea of using capybara feces as food may seem unappetizing, many small mammals like rabbits and primates like monkeys eat capybara feces. Some are even willing to wait around just to get a taste.
So, wherever they go, capybaras always seem to have a group of small animals quietly trailing behind them. Even when they close their eyes and walk slowly, they seem to have mastered the art of living.
While capybaras may appear slow, they can reach speeds of around 50 kilometers per hour when running, earning them the title of athletic champions, though they prefer a quiet life.
Besides being amiable with other animals, capybara communities are also quite harmonious internally, consisting of a few male capybaras and mostly females. After giving birth, they all care for the offspring together, aiding each other.
Capybaras not only get along well with small animals and humans but also have garnered the affection of numerous netizens due to their social prowess, becoming the darling of the working class. It's clear that the title of "social butterfly" for capybaras isn't just empty praise.
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