The Capybara

You may have seen a capybara but how much do you really know about it? The Capybara is known as the “water pig” of Central and South America and tends to stay near standing water due to its extremely dry skin. This includes riverbanks, marshes, ponds, and swimming holes. It has webbed feet, which make it an exceptional swimmer! Along with having webbed feet, a capybara stands two feet tall and has long, shaggy hair. With it’s long sharp teeth, it looks like a beaver but has no tail. In fact, the Capybara is a rodent and is closely related to guinea pigs but has the same tendencies as a hippopotamus. It is the largest rodent in the world! 

    While the Capybara stays near standing water for health reasons, it also uses the water to hide from predators. It can stay underwater for up to five minutes! It is able to do this because its nose, eyes, and ears are all very close to the top of its head. “A capy can lift just those parts out of the water to learn everything it needs to know about its surroundings while the rest of its body remains hidden underwater” (San Diego Zoo). As well as hiding from predators, the Capy also swims to keep cool on hot days and to find food. Their diet typically consists of water plants and grass. An adult eats around six to eight pounds of grass a day! When they are not eating grass, they eat melons, grains, squashes, and even their own poop. When their food is too thick, they often regurgitate it to chew it some more. 

Capybaras usually live in groups of around ten but as many as forty capybaras can be found together during the wet season. This keeps them safer from predators. Capys are preyed upon by caimans, harpy eagles, anacondas, jaguars, humans, and ocelots. This species is not endangered but is constantly “threatened by deforestation, habitat destruction, and illegal poaching” (San Diego Zoo). While these animals look small, they weigh between 77 and 143 pounds and live up to about seven years. 

Educational Questions

Where do capybaras live?

What qualities do capybaras have?

How long can a capy stay underwater?

What does a capybara eat?

What preys upon capys?

What did you find surprising?

What did you find fascinating?

Resources

10 Facts About Capybaras: The World's Largest Rodents. (n.d.). Retrieved June 2, 2020, from 

https://currumbinsanctuary.com.au/our-stories/news/10-facts-about-capybaras-worlds-lar

gest-rodents

Capybara. (n.d.). Retrieved June 2, 2020, from 

https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/capybara

Capybara. (2018, December 20). Retrieved June 2, 2020, from 

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/c/cabybara-facts/