ORDER

Rodentia (rodents)

FAMILY

Hydrochaeridae (capybara)

HABITAT AND RANGE

Capybaras live in South America in the Amazon River basin, Panama, west to the Andes and South to the northern border of Argentina. Being semi-aquatic, they live in dense forests near lakes, rivers and marshes.

IDENTIFICATION

The capybaras are the largest rodents in the world, weighing over 100 lbs; the largest on record was over 150 lbs. They grow up to 0.5 meters tall and 1.3 meters long. Females are larger than males. Capybaras have no tail, and their fur is long and coarse. They are reddish brown to grayish and are usually yellowish brown on the underside. The limbs are short, the ears are short and rounded, and the muzzle is heavy. The digits are webbed and have strong claws.

DIET

Capybaras eat aquatic plants, grasses, tree bark, grains, melons and other fruits if they are available.

REPRODUCTION AND LIFESPAN

Females reach sexual maturity at 18 moths old. Breeding occurs right before the onset of the rainy season allowing females to produce young only once a year. Gestation lasts about 130 days resulting in a litter of 2-8 young. The young are precocial and weigh about 1.5 kg. They nurse for 4 months but can eat grass and other solid food shortly after birth. Lifespan in the wild is about 10 years, 12 in captivity.

NOTES

The main predators of capybaras are jaguars, anacondas, ocelots, pumas, eagles and caimans. Although they are rather clumsy on land, they are very strong swimmers and often evade prey but diving into a body of water and hiding among the vegetation. They can also sleep underwater if they chose to, keeping just the tip of their snout above the surface of the water. Capybaras live in large groups, up to 100 individuals but usually there are 20. There will be one dominant male with other males and females. Capybaras communicate with each other through a variety of different sounds.