Thecapybara[a] orgreater capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) is the largest living rodent,[2] native toSouth America. It is a member of the genusHydrochoerus. Its close relatives includeguinea pigs androck cavies, and it is more distantly related to theagouti, thechinchilla, and thenutria. The capybara inhabits savannas and dense forests, and lives near bodies of water. It is a highly social species and can be found in groups as large as one hundred individuals, but usually live in groups of 10–20 individuals. The capybara is hunted for its meat and hide and also for grease from its thick fatty skin.[3]
Etymology
Its common name is derived fromTupika'apiûara, a complex agglutination ofkaá (leaf) +píi (slender) +ú (eat) +ara (a suffix for agent nouns), meaning "one who eats slender leaves", or "grass-eater".[4] Thegenus name,hydrochoerus, comes fromGreekὕδωρ (hýdor "water") andχοῖρος (choíros "pig, hog") and the species name,hydrochaeris, comes from Greekὕδωρ (hýdor "water") andχαίρω (chairo "feel happy, enjoy").[5][6]
Classification and phylogeny
The capybara and thelesser capybara both belong to the subfamilyHydrochoerinae along with therock cavies. The living capybaras and their extinct relatives were previously classified in their own family Hydrochoeridae.[7] Since 2002, molecular phylogenetic studies have recognized a close relationship betweenHydrochoerus andKerodon, the rock cavies,[8] supporting placement of both genera in a subfamily ofCaviidae.[5]
Paleontological classifications previously used Hydrochoeridae for all capybaras, while using Hydrochoerinae for the living genus and its closest fossil relatives, such asNeochoerus,[9][10] but more recently have adopted the classification of Hydrochoerinae within Caviidae.[11] The taxonomy of fossil hydrochoerines is also in a state of flux. In recent years, the diversity of fossil hydrochoerines has been substantially reduced.[9][10] This is largely due to the recognition that capybara molar teeth show strong variation in shape over the life of an individual. In one instance, material once referred to four genera and seven species on the basis of differences in molar shape is now thought to represent differently aged individuals of a single species,Cardiatherium paranense.[9]Among fossil species, the name "capybara" can refer to the many species of Hydrochoerinae that are more closely related to the modernHydrochoerus than to the "cardiomyine" rodents likeCardiomys. The fossil generaCardiatherium,Phugatherium,Hydrochoeropsis, andNeochoerus are all capybaras under that concept.[11]
Description
From left to right: Taxidermy specimen and skeleton of a capybara
The capybara has a heavy, barrel-shaped body and short head, with reddish-brown fur on the upper part of its body that turns yellowish-brown underneath. Its sweat glands can be found in the surface of the hairy portions of its skin, an unusual trait among rodents.[7] The animal lacksdown hair, and itsguard hair differs little from over hair.[12]
Adult capybaras grow to 106 to 134 cm (3.48 to 4.40 ft) in length, stand 50 to 62 cm (20 to 24 in) tall at thewithers, and typically weigh 35 to 66 kg (77 to 146 lb), with an average in the Venezuelanllanos of 48.9 kg (108 lb).[13][14][15] Females are slightly heavier than males. The top recorded weights are 91 kg (201 lb) for a wild female from Brazil and 73.5 kg (162 lb) for a wild male from Uruguay.[7][16] Also, an 81 kg individual was reported in São Paulo in 2001 or 2002.[17] Thedental formula is1.0.1.31.0.1.3. Capybaras have slightlywebbed feet andvestigial tails.[7] Their hind legs are slightly longer than their forelegs; they have three toes on their rear feet and four toes on their front feet.[18] Their muzzles are blunt, with nostrils, and the eyes and ears are near the top of their heads.
Itskaryotype has2n = 66 andFN = 102, meaning it has 66 chromosomes with a total of 102 arms.[5][7]
Capybaras aresemiaquatic mammals[15] found throughout all countries of South America exceptChile.[19] They live in densely forested areas near bodies of water, such as lakes, rivers, swamps, ponds, and marshes,[14] 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.[7]
Many escapees from captivity can also be found in similar watery habitats around the world. Sightings are fairly common inFlorida, although a breeding population has not yet been confirmed.[20] In 2011, one specimen was spotted on theCentral Coast of California.[21] These escaped populations occur in areas where prehistoric capybaras inhabited;late Pleistocene capybaras inhabited Florida[22] andHydrochoerus hesperotiganites inCalifornia andHydrochoerus gaylordi inGrenada, and feral capybaras in North America may actually fill the ecological niche of the Pleistocene species.[23]
Capybaras areherbivores, grazing mainly on grasses andaquatic plants,[14][24] as well as fruit and tree bark.[15] They are very selective feeders[25] and feed on the leaves of one species and disregard other species surrounding it. They eat a greater variety of plants during the dry season, as fewer plants are available. While they eat grass during the wet season, they have to switch to more abundant reeds during the dry season.[26] Plants that capybaras eat during the summer lose their nutritional value in the winter, so they are not consumed at that time.[25] The capybara's jaw hinge is not perpendicular, so they chew food by grinding back-and-forth rather than side-to-side.[27] Capybaras areautocoprophagous,[28] meaning they eat their own feces as a source of bacterialgut flora, to help digest thecellulose in the grass that forms their normal diet, and to extract the maximum protein and vitamins from their food. They also regurgitate food to masticate again, similar to cud-chewing by cattle.[28][29] Like other rodents, a capybara's front teeth grow continually to compensate for the constant wear from eating grasses;[19] their cheek teeth also grow continuously.[27]
Like its relative the guinea pig, the capybara does not have the capacity to synthesizevitamin C, and capybaras not supplemented with vitamin C in captivity have been reported to developgum disease as a sign ofscurvy.[30]
Capybaras are known to begregarious. While they sometimes live solitarily, they are more commonly found in groups of around 10–20 individuals, with two to four adult males, four to seven adult females, and the remainder juveniles.[33] Capybara groups can consist of as many as 50 or 100 individuals during the dry season[29][34] when the animals gather around available water sources. Males establish social bonds, dominance, or general group consensus.[34] They can make dog-like barks[29] when threatened or when females are herding young.[35]
Capybaras have two types ofscent glands: a morrillo, located on the snout, andanal glands. Both sexes have these glands, but males have much larger morrillos and use their anal glands more frequently. The anal glands of males are also lined with detachable hairs. A crystalline form of scent secretion is coated on these hairs and is released when in contact with objects such as plants. These hairs have a longer-lasting scent mark and are tasted by other capybaras. Capybaras scent-mark by rubbing their morrillos on objects, or by walking over scrub and marking it with their anal glands. Capybaras can spread their scent farther by urinating; however, females usually mark without urinating and scent-mark less frequently than males overall. Females mark more often during the wet season when they are inestrus. In addition to objects, males also scent-mark females.[36]
Reproduction
Mother with typical litter of about four pups
When inestrus, the female's scent changes subtly and nearby males begin pursuit.[37] In addition, a female alerts males she is in estrus by whistling through her nose.[29] During mating, the female has the advantage and mating choice. Capybaras mate only in water, and if a female does not want to mate with a certain male, she either submerges or leaves the water.[29][34] Dominant males are highly protective of the females, but they usually cannot prevent some of the subordinates from copulating. The larger the group, the harder it is for the male to watch all the females. Dominant males secure significantly more matings than each subordinate, but subordinate males, as a class, are responsible for more matings than each dominant male.[37] The lifespan of the capybara's sperm is longer than that of other rodents.[38] Capybaragestation is 130–150 days, and produces a litter of four young on average, but may produce between one and eight in a single litter.[7] Birth is on land and the female rejoins the group within a few hours of delivering the newborn capybaras, which join the group as soon as they are mobile. Within a week, the young can eat grass, but continue to suckle—from any female in the group—until weaned around 16 weeks. The young form a group within the main group.[19]Alloparenting has been observed in this species.[34] Breeding peaks between April and May in Venezuela and between October and November inMato Grosso, Brazil.[7]
Activities
Though quite agile on land, capybaras are equally at home in the water. They are excellent swimmers, and can remain completely submerged for up to five minutes,[14] an ability they use to evade predators. Capybaras can sleep in water, keeping only their noses out. As temperatures increase during the day, they wallow in water and then graze during the late afternoon and early evening.[7] They also spend time wallowing in mud.[18] They rest around midnight and then continue to graze before dawn.[7]
Communication
Capybaras communicate using barks, chirps, whistles, huffs, and purrs.[39]
A capybara in captivity, 2009
Conservation and human interaction
Capybaras are not considered a threatened species;[1] their population is stable throughout most of their South American range, though in some areas hunting has reduced their numbers.[14][19] Capybaras are hunted for their meat and pelts in some areas,[40] and otherwise killed by humans who see their grazing as competition for livestock. In some areas, they are farmed, which has the effect of ensuring the wetland habitats are protected. Their survival is aided by their ability to breed rapidly.[19]
Capybaras have adapted well to urbanization in South America. They can be found in many areas in zoos and parks,[27] and may live for 12 years in captivity, more than double their wild lifespan.[19] Capybaras are docile and usually allow humans to pet and hand-feed them, but physical contact is normally discouraged, as theirticks can bevectors toRocky Mountain spotted fever.[41] TheEuropean Association of Zoos and Aquaria askedDrusillas Park inAlfriston,Sussex, England, to keep thestudbook for capybaras, to monitor captive populations in Europe. The studbook includes information about all births, deaths and movements of capybaras, as well as how they are related.[42]
Capybaras are farmed for meat and skins in South America.[43] The meat is considered unsuitable to eat in some areas, while in other areas it is considered an important source of protein.[7] In parts of South America, especially in Venezuela, capybara meat is popular duringLent andHoly Week as the Catholic Church (according to a legend) previously issued special dispensation to allow it to be eaten while other meats aregenerally forbidden.[44][45] There is widespread perception in Venezuela that consumption of capybaras is exclusive to rural people.[45]
In August 2021, Argentine and international media reported that capybaras had been disturbing residents ofNordelta, an affluent gated community north ofBuenos Aires built atop the local capybara's preexisting wetland habitat. This inspired social media users to jokingly adopt the capybara as a symbol ofclass struggle andcommunism.[46] Brazilian Lyme-likeborreliosis likely involves capybaras as reservoirs andAmblyomma andRhipicephalus ticks as vectors.[47]
Izu Shaboten Zoo and other zoos in Japan have preparedhot spring baths for capybaras.[49] Video clips of the bathing capybaras have gained millions of views.[49] The capybaras have influenced an anime character namedKapibara-san, and a series of merchandise such asplush toys.[50]
Capybaras have long been a figure inmeme culture,[51] particularly in the 2020s.[52] In 2022,Peronists in Argentina presented them as figures of class struggle after the disturbances in Nordelta.[46] Common meme formats pair capybaras with the song "After Party" byDon Toliver.[52][53]
^ Also referred ascapivara (in Brazil),capiguara (in Bolivia),chigüire,chigüiro, orfercho (in Colombia and Venezuela),carpincho (in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay) andronsoco (in Peru).
^abDeschamps, Cecilia M.; Olivares, Itatí; Vieytes, Emma Carolina; Vucetich, María Guiomar (12 September 2007). "Ontogeny and diversity of the oldest capybaras (Rodentia: Hydrochoeridae; late Miocene of Argentina)".Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.27 (3):683–692.doi:10.1671/0272-4634(2007)27[683:oadoto]2.0.co;2.JSTOR30126368.S2CID86217854.
^abQuintana, R.D.; Monge, S.; Malvárez, A.I. (1998). "Feeding patterns of capybaraHydrochaeris hydrochaeris (Rodentia, Hydrochaeridae) and cattle in the non-insular area of the Lower Delta of the Paraná River, Argentina".Mammalia.62 (1):37–52.doi:10.1515/mamm.1998.62.1.37.S2CID83976640.
^Barreto, Guillermo R.; Herrera, Emilio A. (1998). "Foraging patterns of capybaras in a seasonally flooded savanna of Venezuela".Journal of Tropical Ecology.14 (1):87–98.doi:10.1017/S0266467498000078.JSTOR2559868.S2CID84982123.
^abcdMacdonald, D. W. (July 1981). "Dwindling resources and the social behaviour of Capybaras, (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) (Mammalia)".Journal of Zoology.194 (3):371–391.doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.1981.tb04588.x.
^Murphey, Robert M.; Mariano, Jorge S.; Moura Duarte, Francisco A. (May 1985). "Behavioral observations in a capybara colony (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris)".Applied Animal Behaviour Science.14 (1):89–98.doi:10.1016/0168-1591(85)90040-1.
^Macdonald, D. W.; Krantz, K.; Aplin, R. T. (March 1984). "Behavioral anatomical and chemical aspects of scent marking among Capybaras (Hydrochaeris hypdrochaeris) (Rodentia: Caviomorpha)".Journal of Zoology.202 (3):341–360.doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.1984.tb05087.x.
^abHerrera, Emilio A.; MacDonald, David W. (1993). "Aggression, dominance, and mating success among capybara males (Hydrochaeris hypdrochaeris)".Behavioral Ecology.4 (2): 114.doi:10.1093/beheco/4.2.114.
^Paula, T.A.R.; Chiarini-Garcia, H.; França, L.R. (June 1999). "Seminiferous epithelium cycle and its duration in capybaras (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris)".Tissue and Cell.31 (3):327–334.doi:10.1054/tice.1999.0039.PMID10481304.
^abRomero, Simon (21 March 2007)."In Venezuela, Rodents Can Be a Delicacy".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331. Archived fromthe original on 14 October 2013. Retrieved27 April 2021.Legend has it that eating capybara, known here as chigüire (pronounced chee-GWEE-reh), got a boost in the 18th century when the local clergy asked the Vatican to give capybara the status of fish. (...) It remains more popular in Venezuela's rural interior than in the capital.
.jpg)
_on_Capybara.jpg)
_alpha_male.JPG)
.svg)
