Capibara – What kind of animal is it? What do you need to know about him?

Capibara is a mammal that is part of the order of rodents – such as mice, mice, guinea pigs (guinea pigs), cminchile or squirrels. However, compared to the species mentioned above, Capibara is a very large animal. Reach weights up to 65 kg!

Capibara was mentioned for the first time in the second half of the eighteenth century. They were described by the famous Swedish naturalist Charles Linnaeus. It is interesting to note that he included them in the pork family, which means that many years Capibara was considered a kind of pork. For this reason, the rodent is often called water pork today. The name «Capybara» in Guarani means a creature that eats grass.

Where does the capibara come from?

Capibara is originally from South America. In nature, they live mainly in wetlands – in the equatorial and musonic forests of Colombia, Brazil and Venezuela. Since it is easily adapted to different conditions, they can also be found in Argentina or Uruguay. They choose the areas near water bodies. They are also happy to join for human settlements, where they have a lot of food and are less threatened by predators.

Capibara is not cultivated en masse, although in South America farms can be found by these animals. There they are kept for their skins. Even more rare is the growth of Capabaras as pets. On the contrary, these exotic creatures can often be found in the zoo.

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What do I wait for a Capybara?

Capibara exists in two varieties: Capibara Mare and Capibara Miciant. The latter’s diffusion area is limited to Panama and the northern part of Colombia. Therefore, when it comes to Capibara, the great hood is usually taken into consideration, which is commonly found in South America. It is the largest of rodents who currently live. It can reach a body weight up to 65 kg (record support weighs 91 kg!). It has an average length of 120 cm and a height to the assistant up to 65 cm.

Capibara has a body of the body rather of the body, a large head (with eyes, nostrils and small ears located in the upper part of the head, which helps the animal swimming), short and strong legs (with four fingers in front and three in the back) finished with claws and a vestigial tail.

The fingers of the Capabara feet are connected by an amniotic membrane, another feature that makes the hood an excellent swimmer.

Like all rodents, Capybara has strong incisors that grow throughout their lives. It is an animal with an excellent view, hearing and smell. The skin is thin and brown, covered with rare and rough fur, brown-red on the back and yellow-brown.

Unlike other rodents, there are sweat glands in the capabara skin. The males have olfactory glands on the muzzle, from which a yellowish secretion is emitted, with a musk smell, during the mating season (to attract the females).

What is Capibara Nursh?

Capibara is a herbivorous and very «pretentious» animal. – Most of their diet are made up of a few plant species. Capybara feeds mainly on coastal herbs. In addition, they are coprofags: they extract some of their nutrients from their feces. Since large rodents sometimes destroy – in search of human cultures, Capibara is considered harmful to South America.

What kind of lifestyle does Capibara lead?

Capibara lives near water bodies. This allows them to cool off in the hot climate, because their rare fur does not give them sufficient protection against the sun. In the hottest moments of the day, Capabaro Usually they are out of the water, which also offers an excellent hiding place against predators. These rodents are excellent and when attached they can hide under water for a maximum of five minutes. On the ground, Capabara does not manage and in water – it works enough without restrictions, does not dig the bars and can only be hidden from threats in high herbs.

Capibara is a gregarious animal. Usually, they live in family groups, consisting of a male, different females and chickens in total, about 10-30 people. In periods of danger, such as drought, they can be collected in larger several times.

Capibara communicates through original sounds, which remain the subject of the search for scientists.

How does Capabara reproduce and how long do you live?

Capibara reaches the reproductive capacity at the age of about 1.5. They can be reproduced throughout the year. Copulation takes place in the water. Pregnancy lasts 5 months and up to 7 chickens (usually 3-5) are born in a single outbreak. They remain in the mother care for 2-4 months, but can be fed by all females in the flock. The females do not build nests or do not protect their chicks in any other special way and, therefore, in nature, most of them fall to predators.

A hood for adults survives on average four years, although in optimal conditions it can live up to 10 years. Rodents often suffer from vitamin C deficiency, are susceptible to numerous infections and, above all, are a slight prey for many prey animals (including Jaguari, Anaconde and Eagles). The wild cap is also often killed by people.

Can Capybara be tanned?

Capibara is a very intelligent and sociable animal. They are easy to tan and can also be learned to follow simple commands. Unlike many other species of exotic animals, the growth of Capabara is legal. Unfortunately, keeping them in domestic condition is practically impossible. The heads need a lot of space and have many requirements that must be met to keep them healthy and happy.

First of all, these animals should not be held alone. They need their flock because loneliness is a great cause of stress for them. During the summer, they must have a closed space (at least 20 m2 for each couple), with permanent access to the shade and a water body of depth of at least 3 meters. In winter, I can’t stay outdoors, because it’s too cold for them.

In addition, Capibara must receive special food, which is usually not available in stores. The natural grazing is too risky, because the capibara has a very sensitive digestive system and can be easily poisoned.

A person who is able to provide adequate conditions for Capibara and deciding to grow should choose animals from a legal and reliable source. The rodents who previously lived in nature should not be tanned in any case.

The agricultural cap can cost about 5000-6000 Ron.

Photo Source: Canva.com

Anna Dobroń
Milena Kostrubiec