Capybara
The capybara ("Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris") is a mammal native to South America. It is the largest living rodent in the world. Also called chigüire, chigüiro (in Colombia and Venezuela) and carpincho, it is a member of the genus "Hydrochoerus", of which the only other extant member is the lesser capybara ("Hydrochoerus isthmius"). Its close relatives include guinea pigs and rock cavies, and it is more distantly related to the agouti, the chinchilla, and the coypu. The capybara inhabits savannas and dense forests and lives near bodies of water. It is a highly social species and can be found in groups as large as 100 individuals, but usually lives in groups of 10–20 individuals. The capybara is not a threatened species but it is hunted for its meat and hide and also for grease from its thick fatty skin, which is used in the pharmaceutical trade.
Rodent
Some rodent species are serious agricultural pests, eating large quantities of food stored by humans. For example, in 2003, the amount of rice lost to mice and rats in Asia was estimated to be enough to feed 200 million people. Most of the damage worldwide is caused by a relatively small number of species, chiefly rats and mice. In Indonesia and Tanzania, rodents reduce crop yields by around fifteen percent, while in some instances in South America losses have reached ninety percent. Across Africa, rodents including "Mastomys" and "Arvicanthis" damage cereals, groundnuts, vegetables and cacao. In Asia, rats, mice and species such as "Microtus brandti", "Meriones unguiculatus" and "Eospalax baileyi" damage crops of rice, sorghum, tubers, vegetables and nuts. In Europe, as well as rats and mice, species of "Apodemus", "Microtus" and in occasional outbreaks "Arvicola terrestris" cause damage to orchards, vegetables and pasture as well as cereals. In South America, a wider range of rodent species, such as "Holochilus", "Akodon", "Calomys", "Oligoryzomys", "Phyllotis", "Sigmodon" and "Zygodontomys", damage many crops including sugar cane, fruits, vegetables, and tubers.