Capybara – Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris

 

Taxonomy

• Kingdon: Animalia

  

• Phylum: Chordata
• Class: Mammalia
• Order: Rodentia
• Family: Caviidae
• Genus: Hydrochoerus
• Species: Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris

Name

• Common Name: Capybara
• Scientific Name: Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris

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Distribution and Habitat

• Capybaras are distributed throughout the basins of the Orinoco, Amazon, San Francisco and La Plata Rivers. Water and temperature are the main factors in its distribution.
• Its range covers the countries of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela.
• Capybaras live in lowland habitats near water sources. Its habitat includes forests, wetlands, mangrove swamps and riverbanks.

 

 Physical Features

• The capybara is the largest living rodent.
• Females are slightly larger than males.
• It has a large and heavy body covered with coarse red-brown, light brown to light yellow-grey hair. Hair length ranges from 1.18 to 4.72 in or 30 to 120 mm.
• Limbs are short and digits have partial webbing. Forefeet has four digits and hindfeet three.
• Capybaras have broad head and short and rounded ears.
• These rodents weigh from 77 to 145.5 lb or 35 to 66 kg and are about 4 ft or 1.2 m long.

 

Behavior

• Capybaras live in herds of an average of 7 individuals during rainy season and 16 during the dry season. The number in a herd is affected by the condition of habitat and not by season.
• During drought groups capybara herds, made up of hundreds of animals, congregate around water sources.
• Herds are formed by a dominant male, females with offspring and few subordinate males.
• Capybaras live in home ranges averaging 10 hectares but spend most of the time in a small area of less than 1 ha.
• They mark their home range with scents from their nasal and anal glands.
• During the morning they rest by the water under shade. During the hottest part of the day they roll about or lie relaxed in mud holes or water.
• They are slow and selective grazers and spend several hours in this activity.
• Capybaras are semi-aquatic and are good swimmers.

Diet

• Capybaras are herbivores.
• They are grazers and feed mainly on grasses and aquatic plants. They also eat seeds, grains, nuts, fruits, leaves, stems, and bark.

Reproduction

• Male and female capybaras reach reproductive maturity at 18 months.
• They bread throughout the year but it peaks at the beginning of the rainy season. They are polygynous.
• Gestation lasts up to 120 days.
• Litter size is 1 to 7 with an average of 3.5.
• The young are weaned at 3 months and stay with their mother until they are about 1 year old.

Life Expectancy

• Average lifespan in the wild is 6 years but they can live up to 10.
• In captivity they can live up to 12 years.

Predators

• Capybaras, especially the young, are at risk of predation by green anacondas (Eunectes murinus), vultures, feral dogs, jaguars (Panthera onca) and caimans (Caiman crocodilus).
• Humans hunt adult capybaras for its meat and hides.

Threats

• Its main threat is the loss of habitat due to water contamination from to mining and oil exploration activities.

Conservation Status

• The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species lists the capybara as a least concern species due to its wide distribution and large population unlikely to decline.
• They occur in many protected areas however some local populations are in decline due to over-hunting.

Did you know?

Capybaras are closely related to guinea pigs and rock cavies.

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References and further research

The American Society of Mammalogist – Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

University of Michigan Museum of Zoology – Hydrochoerus Hydrochaeris

Eartham College Biology Department – Capybara

ITIS Report

Denver Zoo – Capybara Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris