Nutria and capybara are indeed related. In fact, they belong to the same family, called the Caviidae family. This family includes other rodent species such as guinea pigs and rock cavies. While nutria and capybara are in the same family, they are not as closely related as, say, capybaras and guinea pigs.
Nutria, also known as coypu, are semi-aquatic rodents that are native to South America. They have webbed feet and a long, cylindrical body, similar to a small beaver. Nutria are known for their dense, waterproof fur, which is often used in the fur trade. They are also known for their large orange teeth, which continue to grow throughout their lives.
On the other hand, capybaras are the largest rodents in the world. They are native to South America and are well-adapted to aquatic environments. Capybaras have a stocky body with short legs and a barrel-shaped abdomen. They have a coarse, brownish-gray fur and a rounded head with small ears and eyes.
While nutria and capybara share some similarities in their aquatic adaptations, such as webbed feet and a preference for living near bodies of water, they are distinct species with different characteristics and habitats.
In terms of their evolutionary relationships, both nutria and capybara are more distantly related to other rodents such as the agouti, chinchilla, and guinea pig. These rodents belong to the same order, called Rodentia, but are in different families.
Personally, I haven’t had any direct experiences with nutria or capybara, but I find them fascinating creatures. Learning about their evolutionary relationships and adaptations to their environments helps us understand the diversity of life on our planet.
To summarize, nutria and capybara are related in the sense that they both belong to the Caviidae family, which also includes guinea pigs and rock cavies. However, they are not as closely related as capybaras are to guinea pigs, for example. Nutria and capybara have different physical characteristics and habitats, but both are well-adapted to living near bodies of water.