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Caplin Rous Capybara
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Like its cousin the guinea pig, the capybara does not have the capacity to synthesize vitamin C, and capybaras unsupplemented with vitamin C in captivity have been reported to develop gum disease as a sign of scurvy.
They can have a life span of 8–10 years in the wild but average a life less than four years as they are "a favourite food of jaguar, puma, ocelot, eagle and caiman". The capybara is also the preferred prey of the anaconda. Capybara are farmed for meat and skins in South America. It is widely believed that capybara were declared by Papal Bull to be fish so they may be eaten during Lent. Because of this belief, poaching increases during the period right before Easter.
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