sloth unleashed

ofpaperandponies:

capntrips:

biomedicalephemera:

Rodentia. Capybaras are the largest extant rodents, and live throughout the forested and swampy parts of South America. They love water, and the name “capybara” comes from the Paraguayan Guarani word Kapiÿva, meaning “Master of the Grasses”. 

The Handy Natural History. Ernest Protheroe, 1910.

 Rabbits/hares are no longer considered to be rodents, they are now considered lagomorphs.

Very good point. I meant to bring that up when I saw the plate only labeled as “Rodentia”, but got caught up in the capybara being the grass-master. Lagomorphs were considered to be a superfamily of the Rodentia order since ~1855 (defined by Brandt), but since the early 20th century, have been considered an order of their own.

Fun fact: one of the primary differentiations between rodents and lagomorphs is that rodents have a baculum (penis bone), while lagomorphs do not.

(via scientificillustration)

rhamphotheca:

5 Facts about Rabbits from Smithsonian:  Giant Rabbits

In celebration of the annual spring appearance of the Easter bunny on Sunday, April 8, Smithsonian Science offers these facts from Rabbits: The Animal Answer Guide, a new book by John Seidensticker, conservation scientist at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo, and Susan Lumpkin, freelance writer…

2. Scientists studying the bones of an extinct giant rabbit found on the Mediterranean island of Minorca estimate this prehistoric animal weighed as much as 31 pounds! The largest rabbits alive today– domestic breeds such as the Flemish giant–weigh 22 pounds at most.

- Image: A reconstruction of a giant Minorcan rabbit is shown next to a modern European rabbit. (Image by Meike Köhler)

(via: Smithsonian)

(via scientificillustration)

liquidnight:

Girl cuddling rabbit, circa 1909

From Beauty and the Beast: Human-Animal Relations as Revealed in Real Photo Postcards, 1905-1935