TAXONOMY
Describer (Date): Linnaeus 1766
Order: Rodentia
Family: Hydrochoeridae
Subfamily: Hydrochoerinae
Genus:Hydrochoerus
Species: Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris
Species: Hydrochoerus isthmius
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS 
Body Weight:48.9 kg (108 lb); record 91 kg (200 lb)
Body Length:106 to 134 cm (42 to 53 in)
Tail Length:Vestigal
Pelage:Long, coarse, sparse, reddish brown

 

DISTRIBUTION AND STATUS
Range: Panama to NE Argentina (northern South America east of Andes) for H. hydrochaeris.
Habitat: Lowland grassy areas bordering rivers, ponds, lakes; need open water and dry land
IUCN Status: Lower Risk
CITES Appendix: Not listed
Population in Wild:  
ISIS captive population
BEHAVIOR AND ECOLOGY
Locomotion: One basic gait: a pace with 3 feet on the ground;good swimmers
Activity Cycle: Grazing late pm, evening, night; resting morning; heat of day in water
Social Groups:Highly social; up to 100 individuals at water in dry season
Diet: Selective grazers; prefer several species of native grasses
Predators: Jaguars, puma, foxes, bush dogs, feral dogs, ocelots, cayman,
birds of prey, and humans

 

REPRODUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT
Sexual Maturity: Males:15 to 24 mos.; females:7 to 12 mos.
Gestation: 150 days
Litter Size: 4 to 5 pups
Birth weight: 1,500 grams (3.3 lb)
Age at Weaning: About 16 weeks
Longevity: 7 to 10 years
SPECIES HIGHLIGHTS
Feature Facts: Excellent swimmer with slightly webbed feet;
can stay underwater up to 5 minutes
Society Press: A SD Zoo male capybara named Caba formed
unusual friendship with a feral cat in 1944; the two often rested
together & groomed each other; another capybara lived nearly
10 years at the zoo, died 1939.:

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