These are carpinchos, a giant species of rodent that can reach the size of a medium dog, up to 1.30m length , 60kg weight.
Despite their terrifying aspect, similar to a giant rat with front teeth up to 5cm long, they are extremely shy and peaceful, trying to avoid human contact as much as possible.
They are an amphibean species, populating the shore of rivers and small lakes, and swampland regions, in the Argentinean pampas.
These pictures were taken today in Laguna de los padres, close to Mar del Pkata city, with my cellphone. They were surrounded by local birds known as gallaretas and teros.
Carpinchos are beautyful and endangered, due to the over-exploitation of their habitats by the agricultural industry. I hope we can realize how unique they are before have them extinct, as it happened to many other species...
