Capybara Fact File

Reproduction

How does a Capybara produce its young?

The capybara comes onto heat once every 7-8 days. When they do though they are only open to mating for 8 hours. Breeding can take place year round but a peak occurs in the rainy season.

The female emits a whistle when on heat and the dominant male will sniff her frequently when this occurs. Females will mate with both dominant and subordinate males within their herd. A second male may interrupt the pair while they are mating. The pair mate in the water and the female has been known to dive under if she chooses not to mate. The breeding couples are regularly interrupted by a second male.

The rest of the group is essential to raising the young with groups of less than four know to not raise young.

The babies are born after a 150 day gestation, the longest of any rodent. Normally one litter is produced each year. This can include between 4 and 8 babies. Older females tend to be the ones who produce larger litters.

Females will provide milk to the pups for the first 10 weeks of life. Both in the wild and in captivity the species has been observed to use a nursery system to raise pups. In this system a single female will provide food for all pups in a herd. This is rotated among the various nursing mothers of the herd.

Pups are able to swim as soon as they are born.

They leave their birth group roughly a year after being born.

Females become sexually mature at about 7 to 12 months of age. Males will generally reach maturity around 15 to 24 months of age.

Behaviour

What does the Capybara do during its day?

The capybara rests, during the heat of the day, in mud or in water. They then graze throughout the evening and afternoon. Due to humans coming into their habitat capybaras are becoming a more nocturnal species.

They will congregate in groups of 40 to 100 which fluctuate in size with the wet and dry seasons. The average group will use between 2 and 20 hectares of land but some have been known to use areas up to 200 hectares in size. Each group is headed by a dominant males will several females and their young. Several subordinate males may also move with the group but remain on the fringes. Groups move through the forest in lines and create well-defined trails as they move.

Capybaras defend their territories and both genders scent mark. Young will play in groups and imitate the group’s males.

To help cool down they have been observed to wallow in mud. The mud also helps protect their skin which can be damaged by the sun.

The capybara has a range of vocalisations which it uses to communicate with others in the group. At least seven unique vocalizations have been recorded from this species.

Some bird species have symbiotic relationships with the capybara. They may sit on them or fly near them to eat insects which jump out of the way when the capybara moves along and they also have been seen eating ticks off the capybara.

Capybara are successful swimmers who regularly go in to the water. They can remain submerged below the surface for between 5 and 7 minutes at a time.

Predators and Threats

What stops the Capybara from surviving and thriving?

Natural predators of the capybara include pumas and jaguars. Juveniles face predation from foxes, ocelots, anaconda, raptors and caimans.

To avoid predators they will move to the water and remain submerged below the water.

Across much of their range the species is used a food source by humans. Some farming occurs which is used both for meat and leather. Habitat loss is an emerging threat but in the short term this appears to benefit the species through reduced numbers of predators.

Quick facts

The capybara is the world’s largest rodent. They are one of two capybara species with the other being slightly smaller and known as the lesser capybara (Hydrochoerus isthmius).

Their name is taken from a word meaning "master of the grasses.'' The scientific name is taken from Greek and roughly translates as 'water hog.'

Capybaras are occasionally kept as pets in the United States.

This species was described for science by Linnaeus during 1766.

Due to their swimming habit the capybara was once classified by the Catholic Church as a fish which allowed their meat to be consumed during lent.

References

Barreto, G.R. and Quintana, R.D. (2012) “Foraging strategies and feeding habits of Capybaras,” Capybara, pp. 83–96. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-4000-0_4.

AZA Rodent, Insectivore and Lagomorph TAG. (2021). Capybara Care Manual. Silver Spring, MD: Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

Dinanath , C. (2017) “Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris (Capybara).” St. Augustine: The University of the West Indes.

Fernandez Abella D and Irabuena O. The Capybara (Hydrochoeus Hydrochaeris). Int J Zoo Animal Biol 2021, 4(2): 000293.

San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance Staff (no date a) Capybara, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance Animals and Plants. Available at: https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/capybara (Accessed: 11 May 2023).

Reid, F. 2016. Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T10300A22190005. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T10300A22190005.en. Accessed on 11 May 2023.

Frens, K. 2009. "Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed May 11, 2023 at https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Hydrochoerus_hydrochaeris/

Capybara (Hydrochoerus spp.) Fact Sheet. c2008-2019. San Diego (CA): San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance; [accessed 11 May 2023]. http://ielc.libguides.com/sdzg/factsheets/ capybaras.