Capybara
Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris
Capybaras are autocoprophagous, meaning they eat their own morning feces to help digest the cellulose in their grass-rich diet and absorb essential bacteria.
- Scientific name
- Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Chordata › Mammalia › Rodentia › Caviidae › Hydrochoerus
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- wetland
- Habitat
- Dense vegetation surrounding water sources such as rivers, lakes, marshes, swamps, and flooded savannahs.
- Diet
- Herbivorous, feeding mainly on grasses, aquatic plants, bark, and fresh fruits.
- Range
- Amazon Basin, Pantanal, Llanos, Gran Chaco
- Size
- Length: 100-130 cm, Weight: 35-66 kg, Height: 50-62 cm at the shoulder.
- Lifespan
- 8 to 10 years in the wild
- Active
- crepuscular
- Threats
- Habitat loss from deforestation and agricultural expansion, water pollution, and localized hunting for their meat and hide.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless and highly docile, but defensive if cornered or if protecting their young. Maintain a safe distance of 5 to 10 meters. Avoid petting or feeding them, as wild capybaras can carry disease-bearing ticks (such as those transmitting Rocky Mountain spotted fever). If bitten or scratched, wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water and seek medical help.
The capybara ( Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris ) is the largest living rodent in the world. Also called chigüire and carpincho , it is a member of the genus Hydrochoerus , of which the only other extant member is the lesser capybara ( Hydrochoerus isthmius ). Its close relatives include guinea pigs and rock cavies, and it is more distantly related to the agouti, the chinchilla, and the coypu. Native to South America, the capybara inhabits savannas and dense forests and lives near bodies...
Photo: Bernard DUPONT, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist
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