Capybara

Capybaras are grazers, mostly eating grasses and aquatic plants. In the dry season, when fresh grasses and water plants are harder to find, they may also eat reeds, grains, and fruit. They chew their food twice; after swallowing, they bring it back up to extract more nutrients from the tough plants. They also eat their own droppings to get helpful bacteria that help their stomachs break down the fiber in their food.

At the Zoo, capybaras are given specially formulated rodent biscuits, along with assorted vegetables and greens. While produce is not a staple of their diet due to its sugar content, these treats are used as rewards during training sessions.

This species has a wide range across most of South and Central America.

Capybaras live in swampy, grassy regions close to rivers, ponds, streams, and lakes.

Capybaras, particularly when they are young, are an important food source for many large predators, like caiman, puma, and jaguars.

People also farm capybaras for their meat and hides, which are turned into leather. Farming these animals has helped reduce the hunting pressure on wild capybara populations, but unfortunately, some populations have disappeared completely from their native range.

Capybaras are large animals with round, sturdy bodies, thick necks, and rectangular heads. Their fur is shaggy and coarse, usually reddish-brown in color. Their front legs are a bit shorter than their hind legs, and their feet are webbed to help them swim.
Their eyes, ears, and nostrils are located on the top of their heads, so they can peek out of the water to breathe and see while most of their body stays underwater. Like other rodents, capybaras have long, sharp front teeth that help them slice through plants. These teeth wear down as they chew on vegetation, which is why they keep growing throughout their lives to stay sharp.

Capybaras are social animals that usually live in small groups of around ten members. These groups include one dominant male, several females, and some younger males, along with a few babies. During the rainy season, these groups can grow to nearly 40 capybaras. They can mate all year long, but most breeding happens at the beginning of the rainy season.

Pregnant female capybaras carry their babies for about five months before giving birth to litters that can range from two to eight babies. The babies weigh between two and three pounds. Right after they are born, the young capybaras can stand and walk, and they start eating grass within about a week. The babies often gather in a group called a creche, where the adult capybaras help care for them by providing food and watching for danger. They nurse from their mothers and other female relatives in the group for around three months before they stop breastfeeding. Young capybaras tend to stay with their family for about a year and reach maturity shortly after.