por He capybaracapybara or capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) is the largest rodent in the Rodentia family. This species is highly social and is rarely found solitary, so it usually lives in groups where the hierarchy is very well defined. The leader is the dominant male, who watches over and protects the rest of the members of the group.
In relation to the body, it is robust and measures from 1.06 to 1.34 meters. Its fur is dark reddish to brown in color, with a lighter brown underbelly. The capybara lacks a tail, unlike a large part of the rest of the rodents.
The hind limbs have three fingers and are longer than the front limbs, which have four fingers. All fingers are joined by a membrane, so their feet are semi-webbed.
Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris It is an endemic mammal of South America, where it is distributed in various areas of the countries of that continent, with the exception of Chile.
Its habitat is strongly associated with bodies of water, where it reproduces and submerges to protect itself from predators. Among the preferred ecosystems are wetlands, flooded grasslands and the edges of swamps.
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capybara characteristics
Size
The capybara is the largest rodent in the world. The adult grows between 106 and 134 centimeters, with a height at the withers that measures 50 to 62 centimeters. As for the weight, it ranges between 35 and 66 kilograms.
According to experts, the size and weight are greater in the species that live to the south. Thus, in the Colombian and Venezuelan plains, the Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris it has a body mass of 45 to 50 kilograms, while in southern Brazil and Argentina, the animal exceeds 80 kilograms.
This notable difference could be related to the abundance and quality of pastures, which increase in the regions located to the south of the continent.
Fur
The epidermis has numerous folds and cavities, thus giving it a wavy appearance. Regarding the dermis, it is made up of hair follicles, organized in groups of three. Each of these has an associated sweat gland. This particularity differentiates the capybara from the rest of the rodents.
Each of the hairs emerges in an inclined manner. In addition, the hair follicle has a sebaceous gland.
Body
the body of Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris it is robust and covered with hairs, which measure from 30 to 120 millimeters. Coat coloration ranges from reddish to dark brown, becoming yellowish-brown on the belly. In some species the face has a darker tone.
In relation to the extremities, they are short, considering the body volume of the animal. The posterior ones are longer than the previous ones, allowing the capybara to make a quick starting movement.
Thus, it can escape from a predator or capture its prey by surprise. Also, when the animal is at rest, it can get up on its hind legs.
The front limbs have four fingers and the hind limbs three. The fingers have thick, strong nails. In addition, these are joined by membranes, making the feet partially webbed.
This species lacks a tail, a structure that is present in almost all rodents. Instead of this, it has a fold of skin, which hides the external genitalia and the anus.
Head
The capybara, as it is known in Venezuela, has a broad head. The muzzle is large and flattened, with a cleft upper lip. As for the ears, they are small, hairless and mobile.
The nostrils, ears, and eyes are located on the top of the head. This is an adaptation that allows the animal to submerge and keep these organs out of the water.
Oil gland
This rodent has a sebaceous gland, located in the upper region of the head. This structure is made up of cells that secrete a sticky white substance, which is used to demarcate the territory.
It looks like a large, dark-colored bump or wart. In the male, it becomes visible from the first year of life and continues to develop until it reaches 8 to 10 centimeters.
Communication and perception
Vocalization is a very important way of communicating for capybaras. During the fulfillment of their daily activities, juveniles frequently emit various sounds. Such behavior is also quite common among adults.
This rodent emits a loud call, similar to a bark, to warn the group of a serious threat. In this way, the herd rushes to the body of water and dives into it, in search of shelter.
Also, if the capybara detects the presence of a predator, it begins to vocalize a terrifying bark. This is done continuously until the animal withdraws or until the rest of the group takes cover in the water.
As for the females, when they are in heat they emit a kind of whistle. They do this in order to attract males. Said call is vocalized recurrently, until the male begins to approach the female. The young and young also have a call, thus letting the mother know that she is needed.
In the following video you can see a family of capybaras in their natural habitat:
State of conservation
Capybara populations are declining, mainly due to their indiscriminate hunting. This situation has caused the IUCN to categorize the Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris within the group of animals that are at low risk of extinction.
The main threat that afflicts this species is hunting, to market its meat and skin, both in national and international markets. Also, it is killed by breeders, considering that it is having a grazing competition with cattle.
The habitat of the capybara overlaps in many of the regions that are under conservation protection by public or private entities.
Habitat and distribution
Distribution
Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris It has a strictly South American distribution. Thus, its range is extended to the east of Colombia, Suriname, Venezuela, French Guiana and Guyana. Also, it is in the Amazon region of Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador and Brazil. To the south of the continent, it is located in Uruguay, Paraguay and in the northern part of Argentina.
Habitat
Regarding the habitat, the capybara lives in areas where there are bodies of water, to which it can easily access. Thus, within the preferred ecosystems are flooded grasslands, lowland forests and the edges of swamps.
Also, it is found along the banks, wetlands, swampy lands, scrublands, and meadows near lakes, ponds, or rivers.
During the winter season, the capybara uses the entire area to rest and graze. When summer comes, the animal congregates around the swamps and streams, in search of food and to cool its body from the heat.
Another reason why this species lives near water is that it can enter the river and submerge for several minutes. In this way it hides from the attack of predators. In addition, the capybara covers its body with mud, to avoid infestation with some species of mites.
taxonomy
-Animal Kingdom.
-Subkingdom: Bilateria.
-Filum: Chordate.
-Subphylum: Vertebrate.
-Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
-Superclass: Tetrapoda
-Class: Mammal.
-Subclass: Theria.
-Infraclass: Eutheria.
-Order: Rodentia.
-Suborder: Hystricomorpha.
-Infraorder: Hystricognathi.
-Family: Caviidae.
-Subfamily: Hydrochoerinae.
-Genus: Hydrochoerus.
-Species: Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris.
Feeding
The capybara is a herbivore that needs to consume around 3 kilograms of fresh forage daily. This animal has a selective diet, since it generally chooses plants that have a high nutritional content.
In this sense, despite the great variety of plant species that are present in their habitat, usually only 14.8% represent the diet of capybaras. However, when the animal is forced to eat shrubs with less nutritional value, the number of plant species increases.
This rodent mainly consumes grasses and various aquatic plants. However, it can occasionally eat fruit and tree bark. Food varies according to the seasons.
Thus, in the rainy season it prefers herbs, while in the dry season it eats rushes, a plant that is abundant at that time of year. In addition, during the summer, due to the scarcity of green vegetation, the capybara often invades the livestock areas, competing with the bovine for food sources.
Digestive system
Dentition
In the same way as the rest of the rodents, this species has four incisor teeth that are highly developed. These are long, hard and sharp. Also, they are constantly growing. Between these dental pieces and the first molar there is a space, known as diastema.
On each side of the mandible it has 4 molars, with the masticatory surfaces flattened. This characteristic, together with the strong jaw muscles, allows the chewing of food to be effective.
This translates into greater efficiency in the process of obtaining nutritive substances and in the digestive action of microbial agents.
Digestive tract
The esophagus has a cornified type epithelium. This alimentary adaptation prevents the fodder, during its passage through this tube, from causing damage to the organ. The capybara has a single stomach, characterized by having a large number of parietal cells, responsible for producing hydrochloric acid.
This substance prevents the proliferation of bacteria, in addition to contributing to the degradation of organic compounds.
In relation to the small intestine, it presents highly developed villi, which provide a high level of nutrient absorption. The large intestine presents characteristics similar to the rest of mammals.
However, the cecum has numerous folds, so that the absorption of water and hydrolyzed components is much more effective.
food optimization
He Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris It is characterized by having some eating behaviors that contribute to the efficiency of the absorption and degradation process of the organic compounds that make up the plant material.
Thus, this rodent is coprophagous, since it consumes its own feces. In this way, it helps in the digestive process of cellulose. Also, it allows extracting the vitamins and proteins that were not processed during the digestion of food.
The capybara excretes two different types of feces, one is oval and olive green in color and the other is pasty and light in color. The latter contain around 37% more protein than the other faeces. When the animal ingests them, said nutritive substances are degraded and can be assimilated by the organism.
Also, this mammal can regurgitate food. Thus, chew the pre-digested food again, contributing to a better use of the vitamins and minerals that…