Capybara Trivia | 40 facts about the animal

The capybara is a giant cavy rodent native to South America. It is the largest living rodent and a member of the genus Hydrochoerus.

Let’s find out more about the famous animal!

The capybara or greater capybara is a giant cavy rodent.
It is native to South America.
It is the largest living rodent.
It is a member of the genus Hydrochoerus.
It’s the only other extant member is the lesser capybara (Hydrochoerus isthmius).
Its close relatives include guinea pigs and rock cavies.
It is more distantly related to the agouti, the chinchilla, and the nutria.
The capybara inhabits savannas and dense forests, and lives near bodies of water.
It is a highly social species.
It can be found in groups as large as 100 individuals.
A capybara usually lives in groups of 10–20 individuals.
The capybara is hunted for its meat and hide and also for grease from its thick fatty skin.
It is not considered a threatened species.
Its common name is derived from Tupi ka’apiûara, a complex agglutination of kaá (leaf) + píi (slender) + ú (eat) + ara (a suffix for agent nouns), meaning “one who eats slender leaves”, or “grass-eater”.
The scientific name, both hydrochoerus and hydrochaeris, comes from Greek (hydor “water”) and χοῖρος (choiros “pig, hog”).
Capybaras are semiaquatic mammals found throughout all countries of South America except Chile.
They live in densely forested areas near bodies of water, such as lakes, rivers, swamps, ponds, and marshes, as well as flooded savannah and along rivers in the tropical rainforest.
They are superb swimmers and can hold their breath underwater for up to five minutes at a time. Capybara have flourished in cattle ranches.
They roam in home ranges averaging 10 hectares (25 acres) in high-density populations.
Many escapees from captivity can also be found in similar watery habitats around the world.
Sightings are fairly common in Florida, although a breeding population has not yet been confirmed.
In 2011, one specimen was spotted on the Central Coast of California.
These escaped populations occur in areas where prehistoric capybaras inhabited; late Pleistocene capybaras inhabited Florida
Feral capybaras in North America may actually fill the ecological niche of the Pleistocene species.
Capybaras can dive and stay underwater for up to 5 minutes at a time.
They are often falling asleep in the water whilst keeping their nose at the edge of the banks.
Napping along rivers, mangroves and marshes helps them to stay cool.
They capable of reaching speeds of up to 35 kilometers an hour—that’s as fast as a horse.
Capybaras are rather vocal animals.
They like to express themselves by purring, barking, cackling, whistling, squealing, whining, grunting and even teeth-chattering—depending on what they’re trying to communicate. Not only are there harmonic differences among social groups, but each sound a Capybara makes bears a significant meaning.
Alerts from group members can be environmental cues, including as danger from predators and isolation of their young.
To make up for the constant wear and tear of eating tough aquatic plants and grasses—their pearly whites will just keep on growing!
A whole host of bird species, monkeys, rabbits, and even other Capybaras have been spotted seated, perched or laying on the back of a much-obliging Capybara.
With an average weight of around 50 kilograms, these barrel-shaped mammals are certainly no field mice—weighing anywhere between 35 and 70 kilograms.
Female Capybaras are a little heavier than their male counterparts.
They drink milk for the first 16 week of their lives—suckling indiscriminately from any of the mothers in the group.
As crepuscular animals, capybaras are most active during dawn or dusk.
Sometimes, though, when capybaras feel threatened they will be nocturnal, which means they will stay awake at night and sleep during the day.
The dark provides them cover while they eat and socialize so that predators are less likely to attack them.
Gestation for a female capybara can last up to 120 days.