20 Fun and Interesting Facts about Capybaras

20 Fun and Interesting Facts about Capybaras

The animals’ kingdom has a variety of fascinating creatures but the capybaras stand out as one of the most unique species on the planet. These huge animals have captured many people’s attention because of their unique features that enable them to survive in almost every habitat. Being semiaquatic has made the capybaras have a wide range of places to survive because of their unique swimming skills. Besides, these special animals are friendly not only to humans but to other animals in the jungle. Their friendly nature has earned them a special place as ‘nature’s peacekeepers.’

The capybaras, majorly found in the southern American continent are considered the biggest rodents alive possessing special features such as webbed feet, eyes, and nostrils located at the top of their heads making them ideal animals for wetlands. As we delve into the fascinating features of these special animals, get ready to know how capybaras can easily adapt to different habitats as well as their friendly nature and the type of food they eat. We can also learn how they structure their families because they fancy living in groups for security reasons. Read on to know how hunting has affected the population of the capybaras in southern and central America.  

These are the 20 fun and interesting facts about Capybaras:

1. Capybaras are The Largest Rodents that Exist on Planet Earth

Image by Elsemargriet from Pixabay

the first thing many people think about when they hear the name ‘rodent’ is the small-sized animals such are rats and mice. However, capybaras are also categorized among rodents despite their massive size and weight. A fully grown capybara stands more than two feet taller, with slightly above one hundred and fifty pounds in weight. Their weight and size places them in their category among rodents because the closest animal in this category are the guinea pigs. Capybaras have a barrel-shaped body just like rodents and they do not have a tail.

2. Capybaras have a Strict Eating Pattern in the Morning and at Sunset

Unlike other rodents, capybaras are strict vegetarians who feed on plants and other plant products in different seasons. Aquatic plants, grasses, and fruits are on top of their menu because they are found in their favorite habitats. Since the food is readily available, the capybaras consume a lot of food with adults eating almost ten pounds every day. However, when they are on dry land, these special animals change their diet to grains, reeds, and land fruits such as melon to keep them hydrated. It is important to remember that capybaras have a strict feeding pattern as they mainly eat early in the morning and late in the evening to avoid being captured by predators.

3. They Eat Their Poop to Utilize the Nutrients in the Food Completely

These special rodents are referred to as autocoprophagous because they feed on their fecal matter. They do this every morning to increase the presence of flora bacteria in their body. The bacteria is necessary for digestion and helps in breaking down the hard fiber consumed from grass and other plant products. Since grass takes a lot of time to digest, the animals eat their poop to let their bodies have another chance to properly digest the grass and fibrous meals.

4. Capybaras have an Excellent Relationship with Other Animals

Image by Alexa from Pixabay

Although they are big, the capybaras pose no danger to other animals and humans. They have developed mutually beneficial relationships with other animals and birds such as the yellow-headed caracara. The birds are fond of the capybaras because it feeds on the insects from the rodents’ back while the rodent is happy to get themselves cleaned as the birds get rid of the stubborn insects that can cause diseases. Several other birds love traveling with capybaras because they are assured of a meal by picking insects from the animal’s body.

5. Capybaras are Semi-Aquatic

All species of capybaras have webbed feet that enable them to swim because they spend a lot of time in water to keep their bodies cool. The eyes, ears, and nostrils are located on top of their heads which is a special feature to help them have a view of the water’s surface while their entire body is submerged underwater. They keep their heads on the water surface to watch out for predators that might come from water or on land such as jaguars. Additionally, capybaras can completely submerge their body under water for more than five minutes which allows them to escape danger. They also love mating underwater.

6. They have a Unique set of Teeth that grow throughout Life 

Capybaras have the same tooth structure as other rodents including two long teeth that do not stop growing. They also have strong incisors that are designed for cutting grasses. However, the teeth would outgrow the mouth of a capybara if their growth is not controlled. To keep the teeth to a reasonable length, these animals intentionally wear the teeth down by constantly grinding on hard food such as tree bark. This is a practice that provides the animals with food and also keeps the teeth to a manageable length.

7. Capybaras Live in Groups of Between Ten to Thirty

Image by Herbert Aust from Pixabay

You would never find a capybara alone unless displaced by a predator. These animals are very social and prefer living in families of ten and can grow to as many as thirty animals. The female capybaras have a solo task to look after the young capybaras. Unlike other animals, a young capybara can be taken care of by more than ten different mothers and receive the same treatment and care. The animals stay together to guard the little ones from predators before they are fully grown to understand the rules of the jungle.

8. They are Mainly Found in South America and Parts of Central America 

Capybaras are semi-aquatic animals and are found in places where water is easily found. They are found throughout South America in the forests and marshy areas where they can easily access water. There are a few capybaras in Central America, majorly consisting of other species of capybaras that are slightly smaller in size. However, the grassland, and forest areas are the common habitats for these special animals.

9. They Produce Different Sounds To Pass  Information to the Rest of the Family Members

Although capybaras are commonly associated with producing sound constantly, the rest of the herd also produces sound when they need to communicate. Capybaras have unique sounds such as barking, crying, whining, squalling and teeth chattering. Each of these sounds is used when passing specific information to the rest of the capybaras. They use sound when warning there of the looming danger, or signal them to take a specific direction. They operate like soldiers on the battlefield who rely on communication to keep the team together.

10 Capybaras Can Sleep in water with only a Small Portion of their Body Sticking Out

Image by Denis Doukhan from Pixabay

As already mentioned, the capybaras are water lovers and skilled swimmers who can also totally submerge their bodies underwater for more than five minutes. However, they have been found taking a nap underwater where they submerge the whole body while only leaving their nostrils floating on the surface for breathing. This is a unique feature that keeps these animals’ bodies cool while in water.

11. They are referred to as  ‘Nature’s Ottoman’ 

Apart from capybaras being social animals, they are also friendly and docile which allows other small animals to take a rest on their backs. The fact that they share habitats with several other animals puts the capybaras in the middle of animals that would take advantage of their docile and friendly nature to sit on them. The capybaras do not seem bothered when birds and other small animals rest on them because they love the company.

12. Capybaras are constantly hunted by some of the biggest Animals in the Jungle 

Although capybaras have huge body sizes and weigh as much as humans, they are not out of danger because they have big and aggressive predators. Jaguars have made capybaras their prime targets because of their docile nature and moving in groups which makes them an easy catch. The caimans and anacondas are another set of predators that prefer capybaras over other prey.

13. Capybaras are Heavy but Run Very Fast When Threatened

Image by sharkolot from Pixabay

Heavy animals are associated with moving slowly but the capybaras are different. Since they have aggressive predators, they have adapted to running fast to flee from danger and escape their enemies. A fully grown capybaras can run as fast as thirty kilometers per hour placing them on a level as the fastest rodents on earth. Looking at their size and body shape we cannot imagine that capybaras can run this fast.

14. They eat a Balanced Diet Because of their Vulnerable Nature 

Unlike other animals, the capybaras cannot produce their vitamin C which is responsible for preventing scurvy. Therefore, just like human beings, they must consume food rich in vitamin C to avoid getting scurvy. Scientists have discovered that capybaras that are kept in homes have scurvy because they lack a constant supply of vitamin C.

15. They are Choosy When it Comes to the Food they Consume

Image by Onkel Ramirez from Pixabay

Although capybaras feed on a variety of food including grass, fruits, grains, and plant products, they are choosy eaters. When they settle in an area with different types of grass, these animals will choose one species of grass and constantly feed on the same grass while avoiding the rest.

16. Capybaras have the Slowest Rate of Reproduction among all Rodents 

Their relatively slow rate of reproduction has highly contributed to their small population in the world. Generally, animals with the size of capybaras have multiple offspring in a year. The capybaras only reproduce once a year with a litter consisting of less than ten young capybaras. Their reproduction rate is very low to their body size which has hindered their population from growing fast.

17. They use Scent to mark their Territories

Image by Henryk Niestrój from Pixabay

Capybaras have scent glands on their snouts which are used to mark their territory. They rub their snouts against objects such as rocks or trees or against other capybaras to mark their territories. They also use the scent to pass information to the rest of the herd.

18. Their Existence is Threatened by being Hunted by Both Animals and Humans

Some places where people hunt capybaras for their meat have led to a reduced population of these animals in those regions. Because other wild animals also hunt capybaras for food puts them in danger of becoming extinct at some point in life. However, they have a relatively high population in South America.

19. Capybaras Can be Kept as Pets for their Friendly and Docile Nature 

These social animals are kept as pets in some states in America despite being illegal in some states. Their friendly nature makes them human-friendly and children can easily play with them without expecting harm. Their docile nature makes them suitable to keep in homes for company.

20. Capybaras are the Closest Relatives of Guinea Pigs

Image by Ann Jessica Johnson from Pixabay

While we are familiar with guinea pigs, the capybaras look just like giant guinea pigs when spotted for the first time. The guinea pigs are closely related to capybaras and they belong to the same family called the Cavy family which consists of different types of rodents on Earth. The capybaras have a big head and barrel-like body shape which is exactly how guinea pigs look like.

Without a doubt, the capybaras are a unique species of animals that exist in the world because of their special features that set them apart from the rest of the animals. These animals are gentle to humans and other animals making them have a soft spot for nature lovers and everyone who has seen them. Capybaras are the only rodents that can survive both on land and in water and wetlands because of their swimming prowess. In addition to their survival skills and gentle nature is their organization.

They live together in large families not to leave one behind for security against predators. Capybaras are evidence for a rich tapestry of life on our planet which shows that we have a wide range of animal species with unique characteristics that we are yet to explore. Knowing that we have such adorable, yet vulnerable creatures prepares us to ensure that they do not become extinct. For nature lovers, capybaras must become one of the favorite animals in the jungle to interact with.