( CNN ) -- Scientists have discovered the remains of a rodent the size of a small car which used to forage the South American continent . The 1-ton creature is believed to have been about 3 meters in length and 1.5 meters tall . The fossilized skull of the new giant rodent . The giant rat 's skull , which measures an impressive 53 centimeters in diameter was found by Andrés Rinderknecht and Ernesto Blanco , two scientists from Montevideo , Uruguay . The two paleontologists stumbled upon the fossilized remains in a broken boulder in San Jose along the coast of Uruguay . By looking at the size ratios of the skulls and bodies of existing rodents , scientists determined the bodyweight of the rodent must have approached 1,000 kilograms or a ton , making it the world 's largest rodent to have been discovered to date . The relatively small size of its teeth however , suggests it fed mainly upon soft vegetables and fruit . `` We can give an educated guess that the rodent would have been 3 meters long -- assuming that it was similar to a Capybara ( the largest rodent alive today ) and taking it into account that large mammals generally have relatively smaller heads . It 's tail probably was closer to the one of capybara or guinea pig ( very short ) and not like a rat , '' Ernesto Blanco says . The scientists believe the rodent , named Josephoartigasia monesi , roamed the earth about four million years ago at the same time as other giant creatures , such as terror birds , saber-toothed cats , ground sloths and giant armored mammals . During this period , the now arid region was forested and rich in vegetation . The largest living rodent is the capybara , a 50 kilogram guinea pig found in South America . E-mail to a friend .
Rodent the size of small car discovered in Uruguay . Scientists say the rodent must have weighed 1,000 kilograms . Small size of its teeth suggests it fed mainly upon soft vegetables and fruit .