I am Crazy Cody I was a licensed wildlife keeper and shared my home with the World's Largest Rodent the Capybara Ask me anything AMA!

You keep using past tense. I'm assuming you no longer have your license? What happened and what are you doing now for a job?

That's correct I no longer keep any animals. It was a mix of different things over the last couple years. The major event was a flood that destroyed almost everything. A flood destroyed a bunch of different enclosures and we lost a male wallaby for a couple weeks until he got stuck in someone's garage, that was so worrying every day wondering where he was and if he was okay and it was also super embarrassing.

Oh and for the second part of your questions I currently have a retail job and make almost a living off my YouTube channel surprisingly.

What is your YT channel name?

Here you go! https://youtu.be/egnCOA5qbJE

Thank you what cool video!! the only thing I think I know about these animals is that they were introduced in Louisiana to eat some other problem animal and they bred so much that they were paying hunters to shoot them. Is that right or am remembering wrong. I’ll be watching more of your vids!

That's the coypu is in Louisiana, but interesting side note during the Great American Interchange capybaras made it all the way into North America and lived throughout the south including Louisiana, but they all died out around 11,000 years ago probably from a mix of climate change and humans moving on to the continent.

Interesting that they were once native, Are these animals related?

Coypu are native to Southern areas of South America. It's possible they could have migrated North on their own if people hadn't done it first.

The video you linked is delightful. Are all sixteen as friendly as JoeJoe?

They were all different and but in general there was 3 main personality types. 1st is the "bro" they are the chill with everyone, wants to rub up and be your bff for some pets the typical internet capybara picture. The 2nd is the alpha I would call "Kings" these capybaras are more aggressive and it usually the biggest male and oldest female. These capybaras are jerks they start fights and take food from others even if there is plenty or will fight or chase off another like this. The 3rd are the "cowards" these capybaras are never truly warm up to any one or any thing. They run the second something happens and are the last to come over for food or pets. They also seem to be on age all the time and are constantly trying to figure a way out. If you follow zoo news like I do it seems like there is always a capybara out somewhere.

Did you find that chill bro capybaras are more common than other types?

They are fairly common yes

How are you these days?

I actually went to school with you. (I love the semi-anonymity of Reddit, but screw it, I'm Kate from Mr. Brown's club, back in the day.) First time commenting on a post of yours, but I upvote every time I come across one. It sounds like you've had quite the adventurous life! I'm proud of ya! :)

Hey Kate! What's going on! Wow a lot has happened since I last saw you! Let's see if I can catch you up on things I worked at the amusement park for a couple years and spent 2 years on and off in Thailand learning and working with a lot of different mammals, fish and reptiles. After that I moved back to NJ went to college and bred snakes until Hurricane Sandy ate my house and I moved to AZ and worked in Vegas. I got JoeJoe, started a YT channel and started to keep and breed a variety of birds like emus, ostriches, chickens, ducks and geese for eggs. I then moved to PA where I had an assortment of different animals until another flood destroyed most everything last year. I ended up rehoming the animals and have spent the last year driving around the country filming different animals in the wild. Like these chuckwallas in southern California and this bison in Montana.

That is so cool! Joejoe was such a cutie. I’m sorry he passed, but I’m glad you got to spend time with him while you could. Wish I could’ve met him! Also sorry I didn’t get you the critters you wanted from Florida. I’m back in NJ now too, but ah, c’est la vie.

Lemme know if you want to catch up at all. It’s probably tough, but I wouldn’t mind hearing more about the Sandy situation. Not being in the state at the time, it feels strange. Like a friend was in the hospital and I couldn’t visit them. I guess I feel a little guilty, but I’d love to hear more!

Heck yeah! I'll send you a DM

Why is your post in past tense? Did something happen?

He passed away on 8-24-18

Oh :(

I know it sucks...

I read they should be kept in pairs - what are they like as pets/company?

Many people just have one capybara and having just one capybara is easier then having many unless your aren't going to be there. If you are looking for a yard pet like a llama or a goat yes get 2 or more but if you were like me and worked from home having one is easier since they bond to you and are a good friend. Also something that gets missed is capybaras like people like their alone times and will seek out areas to just be alone and chill.

hmm sound like a very chill dog? how would they do in the winter? would i need to putt a coat and boots on the capy, the way we do our dog? thanks for replying!

They can do cold for a little but need to get warm. Some zoos will keep them outside all winter long with little heat but I would not recommend it at all.

Where did you get a capybara? They are more common here in Brazil

So capybaras are actually more common then you may think. There is a website that breeders and zoos use to sell animals they have available. Depending on your state you might be able to go to a pet store and buy one. I have seen them for sale on craigslist and I have been to zoo auctions where they sell them to other zoos, farms, game ranches and the general public. https://youtu.be/256GOcdfl10

PSA: if you want an animal, go adopt a domestic one, don’t buy wild animals from shady breeders.

This is a good answer but it's more complicated than that. If someone wants an animal domestic or wild they need to know the care and need to be committed to the animal. They also need an animal that fits their life style. The amount of lazy people that get high energy working dogs that they are to busy to play or train it too damn high. Or the amount of people that get a turtle and keep it in a bowl with no heat or lighting with all the information out there on basic pet care is unacceptable. You also say don't by wild animals from "shady breeders" which is true but should be elaborated on more and what makes them "shady".

Do you actually recommend a capybara as a pet? What are the pros/cons?

Capybaras are a large grazing semi aquatic rodent. So I don't recommend everyone that reads this go out and get one today. The pros are they are very interesting animals to play and interact with, they like to hang out and chill for most of the day and they are a lot of fun to swim with. The cons are they eat a lot, they need lots of space, they need lots of water, they eat a lot of food, they get picky with food sometimes for seemingly no reason, they are expensive to care for, vet care is complicated but a network of capybaras owners has gotten together with their vets to trade and share all available medical information on them, they also poop a lot, and they EAT A LOT

So if they eat a lot, do they become a chubbybara?

Thanks for the response!

Yeah they do get very big

In relation to personality, how do capybaras compare? Ie: dogs are energetic, cats are chill. In your video you mentioned they get along pretty well. How do they feel about meeting new animals/ humans?

Depends on the capybara honestly. They are way different from any animal you may be familiar with. They are very nice but are no ways loyal. They do seem to try and make friends with animals of equal size or smaller but larger animals can be questionable at first. When it comes to people if they are bottle raised from a baby they will usually be more open to meeting people but some capybara question everyone at first and takes a little before they get used to people.

Is there any animal that scares you, or that you do not fuck with?

Okay so I'm not that good with wild bugs! I mean I love them all but I just don't trust wild bugs I know the languages of many different species of animals and can read a situation fairly well, but when it comes to bugs I'm just terrible! Also monkeys are really dirty and parrots have the worst bites for a none venomous animal.

We have the same animal concerns I totally get it dude. My friend’s parrot bit the crap out of me for laughing in its presence. Can openers on their face.

I had a young sulfer crested cockatoo bite through my thumb nail like butter. I also had a scarlet macaw bite into my hand just to help step off a branch. So parrots are no laughing matter. That said I also had a capybara bite through my Jean's leaving a scar on my right leg with out me knowing for an hour until I looked down and saw the blood stain on my sock lol.

If you're still checking this, did you have to go to the doctor and get antibiotics or is a Capy bite just a give it a good clean and slap a bandage on it type thing?

(IIRC, some animals bite you and its best to head to a pro, such as with cat maulings. But a parrot bite? Those I basically just clean up and whine over in hopes my bird will feel some guilt.)

No I didn't go to the doctor for it. I just put a bandage on it. I probably should of went to get stitches but in the words of Sweet Brown "Ain't Nobody Got Time For That!"

Never turn away from a cockie you’re feeding. They bite the hands that feed them. Plus wooden railings, decks, tables, chairs, support posts and pot plants.

Absolutely!

Hey Crazy Cody! How'd ya get your nickname!?

Okay in 9th grade I was doing a group report on the nature of bogs and the kids in was paired up wanted to know if the stories I told about finding snakes and snapping turtles was real and came out to where I lived and I showed them the wildlife living in our neighborhood. When I jumped into this boh to catch a wild adult snapping turtle they started to call me Crazy Cody and I liked it. I did shows at my high school educating people on animals and called them Crazy Cody's Creatures

Hey Cody, I'm am artist whose just in the beginning stages of illustrating a book about a giant traveling capybara. I've gathered as much photos as I can online and even am planning a trip to visit some in person next year. I'm so glad I came across this ama and your youtube, tons of reference for me to study! I was wondering / hoping if you had more photos you took during your time with them, and if youd allow me to potentially use some to let me draw from? As much as I've been learning about their anatomy and studying their behavior, good ol photo reference sure would help when it comes time to start painting. Let me know, and thanks! As far as a question, would you consider capys to be protective?

Sure you can use any photo of mine you would like. r/capybara and my Instagram have lots of capybara photos. I also took photos everyday of capybaras so there are lots more to come. Also #capybara on Instagram is very good

So, I live in Texas, where it’s apparently legal to own a capybara. How well would they fare with other animals, like dogs? I’ve seen videos of them with other animals but I’m wondering if that’s under specific environments and circumstances.

When it comes to animals to house them with they do best with poultry like ducks and geese. Animals like dogs and cats have different needs diets and languages. I would never leave a dog and capybara by themselves. But similar animals like goats or sheep can be a great match.

do they have many medical problems? do pet capybaras get vaccinated ?

thx for the AMA

They don't get any vaccines like a dog or cat but do get sick and the problem is we don't know enough about them to really help. Capybaras are very common and even a problem in many South American countries so the need to know about and save them is very limited. The major issues in captivity come from toxic plants like poke weed which kill many young capybaras. The other is scurvy which is surprising since even though many capybaras get supplemented with vitamin C still get scurvy or scurvy like symptoms. As capybaras get older it seems that they develop many dental problems. After talking to many different people and trying to trace back capybara lineage it seems almost a mix of dietary issues and having poor genetic inbred stock in America which contributes to the current health problems in capybaras in captivity.

It seems like the simple solution would be to just feed them more citrus. But I imagine there's a reason why not?

To much fruit isn't the best for them and they also aren't big fans of many citrus fruits. It's easier to give dark leafy greens high in vitamin c along with a supplement instead.

What about pickles? That's what sailors used to bring with them on long voyages to prevent scurvy because they kept longer than fruit. Have you ever seen if capys like dill or bread & butter pickles?

They loved the smell of pickles and would come right up wanting it but they didn't like to eat the pickles.

What do they eat in the wild and what do they eat in captivity?

In the wild they are eating a mix of different grasses, aquatic plants and fruits. In captivity they are fed grass hays and a variety of vegetables and fruits.

Since no one has said anything about it, what happens with the weird light/ufo thing? I watched the video and it looked crazy.

So we watched and filmed the light for about 30 minutes, other people stopped to watch and ask about it. It slowly started moving away from us so we started to drive to it when is quickly came down to the ground in the open desert and turned off. We all ran out to where we saw it last but didn't find anything. No object, no guy with a kite or drone no aliens.

It has been spotted a couple more times over the summer and a similar object was seen in other parts of the country. I was interviewed by two television shows and a London talk radio show about.

What’s your favorite animal??

I like turtles! Capybaras are high up the list along with African crested porcupines, elephants, anacondas and most all animals. Animals are great and we should try and love them all except bed bugs. Fuck bed bugs!

And fleas! I would say mosquitoes, too, but they play a huge role in the food chain. Fleas exist solely to torture mammals.

I agree we can ad all kinds of parasites to the list.

Thank you for doing this. I would love an opportunity to just hang out with one for a bit and get to pet it. This has proven to be more of a challenge than I might have expected as there is nowhere I've found within any drivable distance from NY where this can happen. Any suggestions?

I know of places you can interact with capybaras mostly on the west coast. There are many zoos like Animal Adventure Park in NY they have April the Giraffe that was very famous for being pregnant a few years ago and many of my own capybaras there that you can see. But as far as touching and petting I'm not to sure of on the east coast.

I'm curious about the Jurassic Park shirts. Is that really the only kind of shirt you'll wear, and if so, how did this come about? I think it's hilarious, especially if you've managed to score any with Jeff Goldblum or the kid getting shocked off the fence.

This is the collection I used to have a bunch of different shirts but realized I had way too many and needed to cut back. I kept the JP shirt and got rid of the rest.

I have seen your capybara photos/videos around the internet, they are delightful!

1. From videos/photos I've seen online, capybaras seem impressively even tempered. Was there anything that would make yours agitated or angry?

2. Are they affectionate?

They can get upset when they are hangry or if they are sleepy.

They can be very affectionate.

JoeJoe is a precious baby sweetheart and I’m so sorry to hear he passed away! Just watched the video of JoeJoe playing with the dogs (adorable) and wondered if you ever tried bubbles! My dog loves bubbles, I was wondering if capybara also did.

Also, they are so snuggly-looking. Do they like snuggles? And can they ever be dangerous to humans (will they bite?)

You’re the coolest! Thanks for sharing!!

I have a long running joke with a friend about bubbles. Capybaras are not a fan of bubbles since they are none aggressive high fiber herbivores they don't react much to them.

So on to my friend and the joke! I got a pair of foxes from a guy which his biggest selling point was that they loved bubble baths which I thought was a strange thing. I tried making them a bubble bath and they freaking hated it to point of peeing on the floor and screaming were very traumatic and triggered some form of PTSD I'm not sure how they were treated before but I know they definitely knew about bubbles and they hated them! When ever I see a fox up for sale now I'll message my friend and ask "I wonder if they LOVE bubble baths" they will often message me the same thing too.

Can they be potty trained? Do they give kisses? Do they snuggle? Should we lobby Congress to deregulate having them as household pets?

Yes they can be potty trained yes some give kisses! And if we are going to lobby Congress let's lobby them to try and help people or set term limits or fight climate change or heck I don't know just do the right thing and not be greedy but that's just me and I'm a weird guy.

Thanks for the answer and for this AMA!!!

Thanks for asking a question!

What’s the meaning of life?

It's to do the right thing.

Actively, passively and what happens if there isn’t a right answer?

Just do your best, at the end of the day you are just an over intelligent ape trying to to survive on this planet with all the other over intelligent apes.

How much land should they really have? I have a hard time on google finding a definitive answer? And how large and deep of a body of water would they prefer? Thanks for the ama, this made my week man.

So the zoological standard is 24 feet by 15 feet with a pond 6 feet by 8 feet and 4 feet deep with a 30% increase for each additional animal. Realistically the more space the better. 3 acers of grazing with swampy areas seem to be best for most capybaras in captivity with other them over gazing heavily.

Thanks!

You are welcome!

What kind of stories do Capybara like to listen to?

So there are some shows and movies they seem to like a lot. Bob Ross and Parks and Rec seem to be the best shows they enjoy. They also seemed to like minecraft and pokemon over zelda or gta.

Seems chill

Very chill

"We're gonna make some big decisions in our little world." - Bob Ross

True legend

I love capy’s and I have to ask, have you ever heard of a children’s book called “Capyboppy” by Bill Peet? I know I’m late to the party, thanks for doing the AMA!

I know of the book and the sad real life story of the capy.

So... Why?

Why what?

Why all of it. Why did you live with a capybara? Was it a good roommate? Did it help with the chores? Where did you meet?

A lot of good questions here to start I'm my teens and early 20s o kept and bred anacondas and learned everything I could about them and learned about capybaras that way. After that I was hooked and wanted one but didn't live in a place suitable to have one until I got a house in Arizona and got one 6 months after moving in. They are super needy for a room mate constantly pooping, eating, and breaking teeth. From time to time they did clean up from time to time and we actually met online lmao

interesting. i like your dental video. i learned a lot

Thanks! It took me years to gather the footage and knowledge to be comfortable to make it.

Do they require much attention & care? For instance; would you be able to leave it roaming around the house while you go out for a few hours?

JoeJoe was good to be left alone for about 12 hours before he would start to get upset and try and destroy things. If I was going to be away for a few days or more I would have people stay at the house with him for that time.

Do the animals respect your authority granted to you by your magnificent beard?

The answer is Yes the beard helps a lot.

What sort of certifications or schooling was required for you to go into this line of work? For example, how do you get your permits? Are there any frustrating stories about the law versus the reality of keeping these animals?

Every state has their own set of laws and regulations when it comes to animals. For example in the state of Arizona you don't need any kind of license or permit to own a capybara but if you wanted a cobra or an alligator you would need to get a special permit from the state with a specific reason why you want an alligator or cobra.

On the flip side in Pennsylvania if you want a capybara you need be USDA licensed and get a permit from the state. You have to show atleast 2 years experience working with capybaras, a general knowledge of their care, you have to build enclosures to the states specifications. They also come out to do random inspections and make sure the animals are being cared for properly. But in PA if you want a cobra or an alligator you can just go buy one at reptile show or off craigslist since none native reptiles aren't regulated.

Nie do you became a wildlife keeper?

Was it your dream since childhood, if not who you wanted to be?

It was always my dream as kid. I wanted to be like Steve Irwin when I was an adult.

You mentioned keeping anacondas and pets. What’s the biggest anaconda you kept? I was in the Amazon a few years ago and went to a government sponsored animal sanctuary and got to hold an anaconda, her name was Hannah and she was super friendly. A farmer chopped a bit of her tail off because it was trying to eat his chicken but thankfully she was rescued. If you still kept animals what animal would you have loved to keep but never had the opportunity to?

Thanks for this AMA, this is really cool!

Anacondas are my favorite snake. The biggest was a female named Annabel Lee, she was around 18-20 feet long https://youtu.be/94QaYaUT7Do

Do you realize you're wrong? The world's largest rodent is the chupacabra.

That goat sucking dog from Texas?

That's so cool! How do capybaras behave? Like are they cuddly and friendly like dogs or kinda standoffish and do what they want like cats? And do they live in your house and have a big dog bed to lay on or do they sleep outside in a kennel or a shed?

They can be both cuddly and standoffish at times. They love to be petted and to get a good belly rub, they will also try and chew on your hair to show that they like you. And for both inside and out a large comfortable bed is a must.

I have a question about capybaras. When my kids were little we were at the zoo and right in front of the capybara pen. My son hit his head on the post around the pen and started crying. The capybara like got super concerned and ran over to like check on him. Are they actually nurturing like that towards people??? Or was it just a coincidence?

Capybaras are surprisingly curious creatures. The sound of a child crying would have peaked the intrest of a capybara. He probably came over to investigate what was happening. It may have wanted to help the kid or was just checking to see there was danger. It's hard to know without seeing how the capybara was acting and the sounds it would be making.

As a rodent, do they have the same intelligence/personality as a gerbil or hamster? Or can they compare more to a cat or a dog?

They can be trained like a dog

Did he win roland garros?

Yes

Does their fur vary in feel and texture? Or does it all feel the same basically?

It's like pig hair. Very thick and coarse and made to dry quickly when out of water and not soak up and bog them down in water.

Did you eat it and does it taste like chicken?

Never ate one, was told it's like pork.

are you SURE the capybara is the worlds largest rodent? I've seen videos of politicians....

Politicians always given rodents a bad name

Do capybaras ever actually get aggressive towards other animals?

Yes they do. There are some videos online of capybaras defending themselves and others against dogs

how are you doing?

I'm just getting over a flu so a little tired

What’s your next animal adventure?

I really wanted to see a bear this year and we drove all over Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon and California and didn't see any... at this point I just want to see animals trying to adapt to urban environments.

One time at the Jacksonville Florida Zoo, I was at the a capybara exhibit and it walked up to the glass and started licking it. Everyone was like, “Aww how cute.” Then it backed up, turned around maybe 2 feet from the glass and proceeded to erupt massive diarrhea so hard from its butt that it hit the glass and went everywhere. The “aww how cute” turned into “ahhh gross run!” Haha. I cried laughing. Is this normal capybara behavior?

No not at all. A capybara with diarrhea is a sick capybara.

First question: are you on a quest against punctuation?

Both yes and no. Languages are constantly evolving and changing. The language we speak today is different from 200 years ago. I want to help this change by breaking the rules!!! #👍❤🤣😂🤣

Both yes and no. Languages are constantly evolving and changing. The language we speak today is different from 200 years ago.

We don't speak commas.

,,, ,, ,, ,,,, ,,,,,,,,.

My local zoo has only one capybara. It's in a decent-sized jungle enclosure with lots of birds and a few Caymans, but no other capys or animals that it can snuggle, chill, or eat with. With them being such generally social creatures, do you think this is cruel, or is it completely dependent on their individual personalities? I was really disturbed that it didn't have any sort of companions. The volunteer staff didn't seem bothered, but they didn't seem like they even knew very much about the animals they were minding.

It depends on the individual animal and the situation. There may be a reason why they only have one by itself. What zoo is it?

Do you have any good or funny stories about your capybaras?

I have a lot of funny stories about having a capybara that many people don't ask about since the technicals have a capybara is what most people want to know so I'll give you a couple stories.

The first is taking a capybara out into public is a weird experience. I have had many people over the years want to meet JoeJoe and I wanted to be a nice guy and meet them too. I lived in a ghost town an hours drive from Vegas so to make it easy I would try and meet them at a park or pet shop when it wouldn't be busy with random people asking random questions, but with out fail for most of the time random strangers show up. Most people are harmless but some are Karens and just need to be right for some reason. I have had people at the park say a rabbit and capybara are the same if I try and correct them or tell them the difference they get defensive or angry. It's honestly a very weird thing to have happen. I was at a park one time with a nice couple when I guy came up to me and tried to tell me capybaras and corgis are the same animal! When I tried to explain he kept cutting me off saying I was wrong both are rodents which are dogs and the same thing. I had to start filming JoeJoe eating grass to get him to leave, for some reason when you pull a camera out weird people usually leave. That wasn't really a story but a weird occurence that would happen but for a story one time I thought I lost JoeJoe. My girlfriend used to work as a tattoo artist on the Las Vegas strip from 2am to 10am and 1-2 times a week I would go with her to get groceries or shop since those hours have the fewest amount of shoppers and the nicest employees. After getting home and putting the groceries away my girlfriend went to bed and I took a shower. When I got back out I realized the front door was still open I ran outside freaking out thinking he walked outside and got lost. I came back inside and started to figure out what to do when I saw JoeJoe on the couch (both the couch and JoeJoe are brown so they blended in) with my roommates cat Scooter looking at me like "you need to chill bro" I never hugged him so hard in my life! He was such a good capybara and for some reason generally afraid of being alone outside and would come to the front or back door when we went on walks or just hung out outside. Another thing I used to greatly enjoy about JoeJoe was that he liked to just hang out. I worked from home for a while doing Amazon Customer Service and JoeJoe loved to just come into the office with me and just sit next to me and just watch me talk to people about their "lost package" or their random charge of some item they forgot they ordered. He made work a lot easier just being there hanging out. He would also come in when I was playing minecraft or editing videos and would recognize his own voice and would chime in. When he thought I was doing a good job with little chirps and squeaks

Joejoe is too precious! Sounded like a wonderful companion and true friend.

He really was!

Where is Jojo? Didn't you used to live in Vegas? Where are you now?

He passed away in 2018 I did live in Arizona just south of Vegas and currently live in California

Awwww sorry to hear about Jojo’s passing. Hope you’re enjoying California!

Thank you

Are they delicious?

I never tried it. A friend of mine was in Peru and ate it, said is tasted like pork. They do have a funk to them so I'm not sure if they would ne tasty. They are farmed in a few countries for their meat and hides. https://gfycat.com/gorgeousscentedchevrotain

I was in Belize once and 50/50 regret not trying iguana. For the record, they say humans taste like pork too... In Fiji at least. PS: that's a huuuge rodent.

I have had iguana and it's a reptile. All reptiles taste the same to me it's okay but not like omg this is the best meat ever. It's like an oily fishy chicken kind of meat.

Cool perspective! I've had sting ray, sea turtle (not sorry), alligator... I like trying things I guess. What do you feed a capibara that size pray tell.

They are high fiber herbivores so grass is the base with a variety of vegetables and fruits to make up the rest.

Not cool

It's a valid question

Wait why? For science?

Everything is for science if you word it correctly