The capybara, also known as the greater capybara, is the largest living rodent and is native to South America. It belongs to the genus Hydrochoerus, which includes only one other species, the lesser capybara. Capybaras are closely related to guinea pigs and rock cavies, and more distantly related to agoutis, chinchillas, and nutria. They live in savannas and dense forests, usually near water. Capybaras are social animals and often gather in groups of 10 to 20, but sometimes their groups can be as large as 100. They are hunted for their meat, hide, and grease.
Capybaras have heavy, barrel-shaped bodies, short heads, and reddish-brown fur on top that turns yellowish-brown underneath. They have sweat glands in their skin, which is unusual for rodents. Adult capybaras grow to between 106 and 134 cm long, stand 50 to 62 cm tall
at the shoulders, and typically weigh between 35 and 66 kg. Female capybaras are usually heavier than males. Capybaras have slightly webbed feet and small tails. Their hind legs are longer than their front legs, with three toes on their back feet and four toes on their front feet. Their noses are blunt, and their eyes and ears are positioned near the top of their heads.
Capybaras are semi-aquatic mammals found in all South American countries except Chile. They prefer living in forested areas near lakes, rivers, swamps, ponds, and marshes. They are excellent swimmers who can breathe underwater for up to five minutes. Capybaras thrive on cattle ranches and typically have home ranges of about 25 acres in areas with high populations.
Some capybaras escape from captivity and live in similar wet habitats around the world. They have been spotted in Florida, though a breeding population has not been confirmed. In 2011, a capybara was seen on the Central Coast of California. These escapees may fill the ecological roles of prehistoric capybaras that once lived in the Americas.
Capybaras are herbivores, mainly eating grasses and aquatic plants, but they also consume fruits and tree bark. They are picky eaters and often select specific leaves while ignoring others nearby. During the dry season, they eat a wider variety of plants since fewer choices are available. While they eat grass in the wet season, they often switch to reeds when grass is scarce in the dry season. The plants they eat in summer lose nutritional value by winter, so they don’t consume them then. Capybaras chew their food differently: instead of moving their jaws side-to-side, they grind their food back and forth. They also eat their faeces to gain beneficial bacteria that help digest tough grass and retrieve more protein and vitamins from their food. Like cows, they can also regurgitate their food to chew it again. Capybara front teeth grow continuously to keep up with wear from eating grass, and their back teeth also keep growing.
Like guinea pigs, capybaras cannot produce vitamin C on their own. Without vitamin C supplements in captivity, they can develop gum disease and scurvy. Capybaras typically live for four years due to predators like jaguars, cougars, harpy eagles, caimans, green anacondas, and piranhas. The maximum lifespan of a capybara is between 8 to 10 years.
