5 things you should know about capybaras - LifeGate (2024)

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5 things you should know about capybaras - LifeGate? ›

During the dry season, when fresh grasses and water plants dry up, a capybara will eat reeds, grains, melons and squashes. Up to 10 years in the wild, up to 12 years in captivity.

During the dry season, when fresh grasses and water plants dry up, a capybara will eat reeds, grains, melons and squashes. Up to 10 years in the wild, up to 12 years in captivity.

They are semi-aquatic and will spend most of their time in dense vegetation around rivers, lakes, ponds, marshes and swamps. Feeding mostly in the afternoon, and on and off at night, capybaras tend to doze in the morning. They take short naps throughout the day while other members of their group stand guard.

Due to its dry skin, a capy requires a swimming hole as part of its lifestyle to stay healthy. Water is a source of life for the capybara, as they eat water plants and grasses and use the water itself to escape from danger. In fact, a capybara can stay underwater for up to five minutes at a time to hide from predators.

130 – 150 days

Capybara / Gestation period

Other estimates and anecdotal reports suggest these animals may live up to 10 years in the wild [0434]. One captive specimen lived for 15.1 years [0671].

Estimates vary, but capybaras can reach speeds of 22–35 kilometers per hour (14–22 mph).

Sloths sleep eight or nine hours per 24-hour cycle, and capybaras also sleep in small naps throughout the day, staying most active around dawn and dusk.

These impressive semi-aquatic mammals are found throughout much of northern and central South America, though a small invasive population has been seen in Florida. They're closely related to guinea pigs and rock cavies, and more distantly related to chinchillas and agouti. Like beavers, capybaras are strong swimmers.

Can a capybara be a pet? ›

A capybara is a large rodent native to Central and South America. Although people claim they are good pets, such a capybara pet will have significant, unique needs that are difficult to meet. They are social animals who must live with other capybaras for their physical and psychological health.

In parts of South America, especially in Venezuela, capybara meat is popular during Lent and Holy Week as the Catholic Church previously issued special dispensation to allow it to be eaten while other meats are generally forbidden.

Now aquatic mammals, the Capybara eats minos, underwater grasses, and moss. Physical adaptations are: gills to breathe underwater, thin fur for faster swimming, sense organs located middle of the head, toes fully webbed, and tail a fin.

Fun Facts. The capybara is the world's largest living rodent. Capybaras are proficient swimmers, swimming with only their nostrils, eyes, and ears above the surface. They are also known to swim underwater, sometimes for considerable distances.

A capybara can stay underwater for up to five minutes at a time to hide from predators. They use their slightly webbed feet to swim and dive away from threats.

Did you know #capybaras can run up to 21 mph?

Capybaras have 20 teeth, four of which, are sharp incisors!

The capybara reproduces once a year when conditions are right. Females give birth to live pups, in litters of about two to eight.