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| Capybara |
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| Common
Name: |
capybara |
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| Class:
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Mammalia |
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| Order: |
Rodentia |
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| Family:
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Hydrochaeridae |
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| Genus
species: |
Hydrochaeris
hydrochaeris |
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| Fast
Facts |
| Description:
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Coat
is long, coarse, and somewhat sparse. Coloration on dorsal surface
is reddish brown to gray, while the coloration on the ventral surface
is a lighter yellow-brown. Adult males exhibit a large, bare hump
atop their snout which contains rather enormous sebaceous glands.
Limbs are short, while the head is large and broad. The muzzle is
quite pronounced. Their digits are have short, strong claws and are
partially webbed. Tail is vestigial and is therefore non-apparent. |
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| Size:
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Head
and body length = 100-130 cm
Shoulder height = up to 50 cm |
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| Weight:
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27-79
kg |
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| Diet:
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Mainly
grasses, but also including aquatic vegetation, grains, melons, and
squashes |
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| Gestation: |
149-156
days |
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| Sexual
maturity: |
15 months |
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| Life
span: |
8-12
years |
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| Range:
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Eastern
Panama through northeastern Argentina |
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| Habitat:
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Densely
vegetated region adjacent to bodies of water |
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| Population: |
Density
in the Pantanal is roughly 7 capybara per each square kilometer |
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| Status:
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Not
listed by IUCN, CITES, or USDI; stable |
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| Fun
Facts |
| 1. |
The
capybara is the world's largest living rodent. |
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| 2. |
Capybaras
are proficient swimmers, swimming with only their nostrils, eyes,
and ears above the surface. They are also known to swim underwater
- sometimes for considerable distances. |
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| 3. |
Capybaras
are social animals, living in groups of 6-20 and occasionally congregating
in aggregates as large as 100 individuals. Social groups are controlled
by a dominant male whose social status is vigorously and aggressively
maintained. |
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| Ecology
and Conservation |
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While
often hunted for its meat and hide, the capybara remains widespread
and common. Commercial ranches raising capybara have seen modest
interest. Capybara ranches have the ecological advantage of maintaining
areas while engaging in commercial pursuits.
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| Bibliography |
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Nowak,
Ronald M. Walker's Mammals of the World - Volume I (Sixth
Edition)
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| RETURN
TO TOP |
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| Return
to Expedition
Pantanal 2002 |
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| Return
to Animal Bytes |
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