Palo de Sangre Wooden Capybara

Add this delightful piece to your home decor!

Our Carved Wood Capybara

The one-of-a-kind capybara figurine is handmade in Colombia, South America, of beautiful, natural palo de sangre wood. The shriny red of the wood is natural, and there is no finish or stain added. The surface shine and smoothness are created by rubbing the finished product in a way that burnishes it to a beautiful, silky lustre. Each piece is an individually-designed and carved work of art. No two are exactly the same, which is the reason our order button only allows you to order one. You will receive the exact capybara you see in this photo. You can learn more about palo de sangre wood products from Colombia via this link, or check out our other capybara toys and gifts. You can also look at all of our Latin American arts and crafts on this page. This capybara was shipped to us by a Colombian conservationist to help raise funds for tapir conservation in Colombia.

About Capybaras

The capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) is related to guinea pigs and chinchillas. Capybara are the largest living rodents in the world, reaching lengths of over four feet long and weights of as much as 150 pounds. Their range is densely-forested parts of South America near bodies of water. While not native to lands outside of South America, capybara have been introduced to similar habitats around the world as escapees from captivity, including the marshes of Florida and the western coast of California.

Capybara are herbivores, feeding primarily on aquatic plants, tree bark, fruit, and grasses. They are themselves a favored prey of large cats and eagles, and are farm-raised for meat and pelts across South America. A Papal Bull (a document issued by the Pope in Rome) declared the capybara a fish, allowing capybara to eaten during the Catholic holiday of Lent. As a result, poaching of capybara increases during the period right before Easter.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.