The top five biggest rodents in the world by size and weight are all much larger than the common house mouse and rat, and they live primarily in South America and other regions. The biggest is the capybara, native to South America, weighing 100 to 170 pounds and reaching about four feet long, often called the king of rodents and known for its semi-aquatic lifestyle and social nature. The second biggest is the beaver, including the North American beaver and Eurasian beaver, weighing 35 to 65 pounds and known for building large dams and lodges that shape ecosystems. The third biggest is the capybara's close relative the lesser capybara or other large cavies, but commonly listed as the crested porcupine or the North American porcupine, with Old World porcupines weighing up to 60 pounds. The fourth biggest is the coypu or nutria, a large semi-aquatic rodent weighing 10 to 20 pounds that is considered invasive in many areas. The fifth biggest includes the mara or Patagonian cavy and large porcupines, weighing 15 to 30 pounds. Extinct rodents were even larger, such as Josephoartigasia which weighed over 2,000 pounds. Among living rodents, capybaras are by far the largest and are the most recognized as the biggest rodent on Earth.
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