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A big rodent.
—In-game description

Capybaras are huntable animals in Age of Empires III that appear on tropical maps like Orinoco and Amazonia. They provide a decent supply of Food early in the game but are later replaced by Mills due to the depletion of wildlife. Each Capybara yields 400 food.

Capybaras are also used as ammunition for Mediocre Bombard unit.

History[]

Scientific Name: Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris
Approx. Size: 4 ft. long, 80 lb.
Diet: Grasses, bark, river plants

The name capybara is a Tupi-Guarani word that means "grass eater." The capybara is the largest living rodent. It has sparse, bristly fur and partially webbed feet. They are excellent swimmers and can even sleep underwater, so long as their noses are above the surface. They live in herds that keep to riverbanks and water, hiding from predators by swimming away when they can. Catholic settlers in South America found the capybara and wondered if it was permissible to eat the strange water-loving animal during Lent (a time when no meat can be eaten, but fish is acceptable). The Church, fearing the loss of such distant and endangered followers, classified the capybara as a fish, a decision that has never been reversed.

Trivia[]

  • Although they appear on Yucatán, Capybaras are native to South America, from Panama to North Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay.
    • However, there is another species of large rodent native to east-central Mexico called lowland paca (Cuniculus paca), known by the Aztecs as tepezcuintle. It is smaller than capybaras, but it was consumed as food by prehispanic civilizations.
  • Within the Age of Empires community, the Capybara became a trend prior to the release of the Definitive Edition (due to the Capybara comparison image impact on social media), having its own modified icons (as profile user images), and even being referenced in Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition and Age of Empires IV events.

Gallery[]

Animals in Age of Empires III
Land
HerdablesCow aoe3de Cow · Goat aoe3de Goat · Llama aoe3de Llama · Cow aoe3de Sacred Cow · Sanga aoe3de Sanga Cattle · Sheep aoe3de Sheep · Water buffalo aoe3de Water Buffalo · Yak portrait aoe3de Yak · Aoe3de zebu Zebu Cattle · Sanga aoe3de Big Benny
HuntablesBighorn sheep aoe3de Bighorn Sheep · Bison aoe3de Bison · Capybara aoe3de Capybara · Caribou aoe3de Caribou · Deer aoe3de Deer · Elephant aoe3de Elephant · Elk aoe3de Elk · Gazelle portrait Gazelle · Giant salamander aoe3de Giant Salamander · Giraffe portrait Giraffe · Guanaco aoe3de Guanaco · Ibex aoe3de Ibex · Marco polo sheep aoe3de Marco Polo Sheep · Moose aoe3de Moose · Musk deer aoe3de Musk Deer · Musk ox aoe3de Musk Ox · Nilgai aoe3de Nilgai · Ostrich portrait aoe3de Ostrich · Pronghorn aoe3de Pronghorn · Rhea aoe3de Rhea · Saiga aoe3de Saiga · Serow aoe3de Serow · Tapir aoe3de Tapir · Turkey aoe3de Turkey · Zebra portrait aoe3de Zebra
Treasure guardiansAlligator aoe3de Alligator · Tibetan macaque aoe3de Baboon · Black bear aoe3de Black Bear · Black panther aoe3de Black Panther · Beast portrait Beast · Beast portrait Beast of Gévaudan · Grizzly aoe3de Brown Bear · Cougar aoe3de Cougar · Pet wolf aoe3de Coyote · Alligator aoe3de Crocodile · Elephant aoe3de Elephant · Ethiopian Wolf portrait Ethiopian Wolf · Grizzly aoe3de Grizzly Bear · Hippo portrait Hippo · Honey Badger portrait Honey Badger · Hyena portrait aoe3de Hyena · Jaguar pet aoe3de Jaguar · Jaguar pet aoe3de Leopard · Lion aoe3de Lion · Liontailed macaque aoe3de Lion-Tailed Macaque · Guardian dog portrait Mad Dog · Monitor lizard aoe3de Monitor Lizard · Orangutan portrait aoe3de Orangutan · Panda portrait aoe3de Panda · Polar bear aoe3de portrait Polar Bear · Rhino aoe3de Rhinoceros · Snow leopard aoe3de Snow Leopard · Snowmonkey aoe3de Snow Monkey · Tibetan macaque aoe3de Tibetan Macaque · Tiger icon aoe3de Tiger · Warthog portrait Warthog
Unknown-exclusiveAoe3de zebu Cash Cow · Aoe3de zebu Wood Cattle
MilitaryWar dog aoe3de Dog · Turkey scout portrait aoe3de Intrepid Turkey Scout · Sheep aoe3de Lamb of the Creator · Pet wolf aoe3de Tengri Wolf
Water
Treasure guardiansAlligator aoe3de Alligator · Hippo portrait Hippo · Greatwhiteshark aoe3de Great White Shark · Orca aoe3de Orca · White tiger aoe3de White Tiger · Warthog portrait Wild Boar · Pet wolf aoe3de Wolf
FishBass aoe3de Bass · Carp portrait aoe3de Carp · Catfish portrait aoe3de Catfish · Cod portrait aoe3de Cod · Mahi portrait aoe3de Mahi-mahi · Mola mola portrait aoe3de Mola Mola · Salmon aoe3de Salmon · Sardine portrait aoe3de Sardines · Squid portrait aoe3de Squid · Tarpon portrait aoe3de Tarpon · Tuna aoe3de Tuna
WhalesBeluga whale portrait aoe3de Beluga Whale · Whale humpback portrait aoe3de Humpback Whale · Minke whale portrait aoe3de Minke Whale
Air
Bird · Bird unit icon AoE3DE Bird (unit)
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