Capybaras (Hydrochoerus spp.) Fact Sheet: Summary

Describer (Date): Linnaeus (1766)

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Rodentia

Family: Caviidae

Genus: Hydrochoerus

Species: Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris (greater capybara)
Species: Hydrochoerus isthmius (lesser capybara)

For Greater Capybara

Body Weight: 35-65 kg (77-143 lbs)

Head-Body Length: 1070-1340 mm (3.5-4.4 ft)

Pelage: Long, coarse, sparse, reddish-brown

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
Greater capybara: Least Concern
Lesser capybara: Data deficient

CITES Status
Not listed

Locomotion: One basic gait: a pace with 3 feet on the ground; good swimmers

Activity Cycle: Grazing late afternoon, evening, night; rest during morning; spend hot hours of the 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, caiman (alligator), birds of prey, and humans

Sexual Maturity:
Males:15 to 24 months
Females:7 to 12 months

Gestation: 150 days

Litter Size: 4 to 5 pups

Birth weight: 1,500 grams (3.3 lbs)

Age at Weaning: About 16 weeks

Typical Life Expectancy:
Wild populations: typically 7-10 years
Managed care: median life expectancy for males of 7.1 years; females, 8.6 years.

Feature Facts:

• Largest living rodent
• Excellent swimmer with slightly webbed feet; can stay underwater up to 5 minutes
• Eat 3 kg/day of fresh forage
• Currently found in parts of South and Central America
• Status not currently threatened, but encroachment of human development and perceived competition with agriculture needs controls and monitoring
• A San Diego Zoo capybara named Caba formed an unusual friendship with a feral cat in 1944; the two often rested together & groomed each other.