English - Capybara 

Portuguese - Capivara 

Latin - Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris

The Capybara is a large, semi-aquatic rodent that is found inhabiting the water-logged regions of South America. Closely related to other South American rodents such as Chinchillas and Guinea Pigs, the Capybara is the largest rodent in the world. It is a member of the genus Hydrochoerus, of which the only other extant member is the lesser capybara (Hydrochoerus isthmius).

The Capybara is a heavy, stocky-looking animal with a short head and muzzle in comparison to its body and hardly any tail at all. They have short but sturdy limbs and hoof-like claws on their toes which along with the webbing, helps the Capybara both when negotiating the slippery banks and with swimming and also prevents them from sinking too deeply into the surrounding mud. Their coarse, short fur is pale to dark brown in colour with varying tinges of yellow, red and grey and is perfectly designed to dry out quickly once they are back on land. They can weigh up to 75kg and measure up to 1.4 meters in length. One of the Capybara’s most distinctive features is the fact that their eyes, ears and nostrils are all positioned on top of its head meaning that they still have excellent sight, sound and smell whilst in the water. The placement of these features also means that when threatened, the Capybara can retreat into the water only leaving these parts of its body exposed to hide from potential predators. 

Despite the size of this large rodent and their slow and gentle disposition, it makes them a rewarding meal for numerous hungry predators throughout their natural range. Wildcats including Jaguars, Pumas and Ocelots are the primary predators of the Capybara along with Caimans and Eagles. The Capybara is also one of the best sources of food for the world’s heaviest snake, the Anaconda, along with other species of large snake. The Capybara is also hunted by Humans in parts of its natural range for both its meat and the hide which is prized amongst some. 

The Capybara is found throughout a variety of habitats in South America providing that there is a constant source of standing freshwater. They are found in Panama, Colombia, Venezuela and Peru, down through Brazil and Paraguay and into northern Argentina and Uruguay where they are most commonly found in swamps, marshes, rivers and lakes. The Capybara can be found inhabiting grassy plains and even in rainforests where they occupy territories in herds.

In a Capybara herd, only the dominant male has the breeding rights to the females, and although it can occur all year round depending on the conditions, the breeding season tends to be during the rainy season. Capybaras mate only in water. After a gestation period that lasts for around five months, the female gives birth to between 1 and 8 pups on land. The young are very well developed at birth and not only have all their fur and can see, but are also able to run, swim and dive within hours of birth. The female rejoins the main group within hours with her newborn, which begin to eat grass after about a week. (although they will continue to suckle milk from their mother until they are around four months old) Capybaras form creches in which 3-4 Adults take care of the young while the rest of the herd go off to feed.

The Capybara is a herbivorous animal that only eats plant matter in order to acquire all of the nutrients it needs. The diet consists of grasses and aquatic plants, along with fruits and berries and the occasional munch on soft tree bark. Despite spending a number of hours during the night grazing, the Capybara is quite fussy with around 75% of their diet involving between three and six different species of plant. Like all other species of rodent, their two front teeth grow continuously throughout their life meaning that they must gnaw and chew their food to grind them down which they do in a back and forth motion rather than from side to side. They are also known to both regurgitate their food in order to chew it again (much like a Cow) and also eat their own droppings which help to break down the cellulose in the grass, along with aiding their digestive system in general.

The Capybara population throughout South America remains fairly stable and it is because they are still common in much of their natural range, that they are classed as being a species “of Least Concern”.  Population numbers in certain areas however, have declined due to hunting and others are affected by loss of their natural habitat both from deforestation and increasing water pollution levels in their environment. 

All photos of the Capybara were taken at Parque Barigui - Curitiba - Parana