The Largest Rodent in the World

Appearance

Capybaras are heavy and stocky looking animals. They have a short head and muzzle compared to their body and they have the tiniest tail. Capybaras have short limbs that are sturdy and on each of their four limbs, they have hoof-like toes with webbing to help them swim. They have short fur and it is dark brown with many shades of yellow, red, and grey. Capybaras' fur dries quickly after they get on land. They have their eyes, nostrils and ears on the top of their head which allows them to hear, smell, and see while in the water. Since their nostrils, ears, and eyes are on the top of their head, when they see a predator they go into the water and only leave those parts out to escape the predator.

Diet 

Capybaras only eat plants which makes them herbivores. The plants they eat provides them with all the nutrients they need. The diet of a Capybara is mainly aquatic plants, grasses, fruits, berries, and edible bark. They spend many hours grazing in the night for food. Capybaras are picky eaters that 75% of the time will only eat three to six specific plant species. Since Capybaras are rodents, they have two front teeth growing throughout their life. Capybaras are known to regurgitate, or spit up, their food to chew it again.

Habitat

Capybaras are found throughout Central America and South America. They must live near a source of water. Capybaras are found in countries such as such as Panama, Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Brazil, Paraguay, and into northern Argentina and Uruguay. They are found in rivers, lakes, marshes, and swamps. Capybaras can be found inhabiting grassy plains and rainforest where herds of them live. During the dry seasons, Capybaras must live near a water source to find food. In the the wet seasons, they must be able to find food even when the area floods. 

Reproduction

The breeding season is mostly during the raining season, from April to May. Although Capybaras can mate throughout the year. Their gestation period lasts about 5 months. After the five months the female Capybara give birth, on the land,between 1 to 8 pups. Pups are very developed when they are born. When they are born, they can run, swim, and dive into the water just hours after they are born. After females give birth, they rejoin their herd and her pups follow her. Pups begin to graze on grass when they are about a week old. Capybaras live about 10 years in the wild and a little bit more in captivity.

Thank you for reading this article. I hope you learned a lot about Capybaras. I personally love Capybaras because they are adorable and amazing swimmers. Please share the link to your family and friends. If you can, you can comment an animal you want me to research. Here is the link to my youtube channel: The Informative Zoologist