Capybara: Our Next Invasive Mammal?

Talk about a big rat!!! I heard my cousin who goes to South America fairly often talk about making one of these into a pet. He said the animal would come like a dog when he called it, and was very friendly, allowing itself to be petted.They have been spotted in both Florida and California, but no breeding colonies have been verified (yet). But all in all, I do not wish to be invaded by these things.Armadillos are bad enough. They are semi-aquatic and eat mostly grasses and aquatic plants. I suppose they might become a problem at ponds and lakes or rivers (watch out Lake Martin!) but we probably do not have to worry about them in subdivisions--unless they adapt and change their habits. They mate in water and a typical litter is 4 babies. The gestation period is 4/5 months.