Where does the capybara live?
The capybara lives in South America, east of the Andes, from eastern Venezuela to Uruguay and north-eastern Argentina. This semi-aquatic rodent stays near water: lakes, ponds, rivers, swamps and flooded savannas. The highest densities are found in big wetlands such as the Pantanal and the Llanos of the Orinoco. It sleeps on firm ground hidden in dense vegetation, and spends the hot hours in water or mud to cool down.
What does the capybara eat?
A strict herbivore, it feeds mostly on grasses and aquatic plants, but also on leaves, bark, fruit and reeds. It grazes mainly in the late afternoon and at night. An excellent swimmer, it can hold its breath for up to five minutes underwater, and its eyes, ears and nostrils, set high on its head, stay above the surface. It lives in groups of 10 to 20 individuals, sometimes up to 100 in the dry season.
Is the capybara endangered?
No: the IUCN lists it as Least Concern, and its population is stable almost everywhere. In some areas, hunting for its meat and hide has reduced its numbers, and farmers kill it because it grazes like their livestock. It breeds quickly and copes well with habitat change: it even lives in pastures and plantations.
