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Capybara

Capybara

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Scientific Name:

Hydrochaeris hydrochaeris


Distribution

South America, from Colombia and Venezuela to northern Argentina.


Diet:

Ηerbivorous. Grasses, aquatic plants , fruits and berries.


Facts

Habitat:  marshes, estuaries, along rivers and streams, swamps and grasslands

 

Gestation: 120 days, up to 8 young.


Social structure: Either in groups of 10-30 individuals (one dominant male, one or more females, many young and some subordinate males), or solitary (especially males)


Weight: 35-66 kg.


Dimensions: length: 106-134 cm, Height: 50-62cm


Estimated population in the wild: Unknown


Lifespan: 10 years in the wild, 12 years under human care


Threats: human hunting for its skin and meat, predators such as : wildcats (Jaguars, Pumas. Ocelots), snakes (Anacondas), caimans, eagles.


IUCN Status: Least Concern


Did you know that:

  1. Capybaras are excellent swimmers. They can stay underwater for up to 5min at a time.
  2. They mate in the water.
  3. Its common name, “Kapiyva” means “master of the grasses”.
  4. The male capybara can be distinguished from the female by the obvious, highly developed scent gland on top of the snout, known as morillo.



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