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{{Short description|Largest species of rodents}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Good article}}
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{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2022}}
{{Speciesbox
| status            = LC
| status_system     = IUCN3.1
| status_ref        = <ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=Reid, F. |date=2016 |title=''Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris'' |volume=2016 |page=e.T10300A22190005 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T10300A22190005.en |access-date=19 November 2021}}</ref>
| image             = Hydrochoeris hydrochaeris in Brazil in Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 09.jpg
| image_caption     = In [[Petrópolis]], Brazil
| genus             = Hydrochoerus
| species           = hydrochaeris
| authority         = ([[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], [[12th edition of Systema Naturae|1766]])
| range_map         = Capybara range.svg
| range_map_caption = Native range
| synonyms          = ''Sus hydrochaeris'' {{small|Linnaeus,&nbsp;1766}}
}}

The '''capybara'''{{efn | Also referred as '''capivara''' (in Brazil), '''capiguara''' (in Bolivia), '''chigüire''', '''chigüiro''', or '''fercho''' (in Colombia and Venezuela), '''carpincho''' (in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay) and '''ronsoco''' (in Peru).}} or '''greater capybara''' ('''''Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris''''') is the largest living rodent,<ref>{{Cite web | author= Basic Biology | date= 2015 | title= Rodents | url= https://basicbiology.net/animal/mammals/rodents}}</ref> native to [[South America]]. It is a member of the genus ''[[Hydrochoerus]]''. The only other [[extant taxon|extant]] member is the [[lesser capybara]] (''Hydrochoerus isthmius''). Its close relatives include [[Cavia|guinea pig]]s and [[Kerodon|rock cavies]], and it is more distantly related to the [[agouti]], the [[chinchilla]], and the [[nutria]]. The capybara inhabits savannas and dense forests, and lives near bodies of water. It is a highly social species and can be found in groups as large as one hundred individuals, but usually live in groups of 10–20 individuals. The capybara is hunted for its meat and hide and also for grease from its thick fatty skin.<ref>[http://www.arkive.org/capybara/hydrochoerus-hydrochaeris/ Capybara (''Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris'')] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120103075238/http://www.arkive.org/capybara/hydrochoerus-hydrochaeris/ |date=2012-01-03 }}. ARKive.org</ref>

==Etymology==
Its common name is derived from [[Tupi language|Tupi]] {{lang|tpn|ka'apiûara}}, a complex agglutination of {{lang|tpn|kaá}} (leaf) + {{lang|tpn|píi}} (slender) + {{lang|tpn|ú}} (eat) + {{lang|tpn|ara}} (a suffix for agent nouns), meaning "one who eats slender leaves", or "grass-eater".<ref>Ferreira, A. B. H. (1986) ''[[Novo Dicionário da Língua Portuguesa]]'', 2nd ed., Rio de Janeiro: Nova Fronteira, p.344</ref> The [[genus name]], ''hydrochoerus'', comes from [[Ancient Greek|Greek]] {{lang|grc|ὕδωρ}} (''{{lang|grc-Latn|hýdor}}'' "water") and {{lang|grc|χοῖρος}} (''{{lang|grc-Latn|choíros}}'' "pig, hog") and the species name, ''hydrochaeris'', comes from Greek {{lang|grc|ὕδωρ}} (''{{lang|grc-Latn|hýdor}}'' "water") and {{lang|grc|χαίρω}} (''{{lang|grc-Latn|chairo}}'' "feel happy, enjoy").<ref name=msw3>{{MSW3 Woods|id=13400218|page=1556}}</ref><ref name="inDarwin">{{Cite book | last=Darwin | first=Charles R. | author-link =Charles Darwin| year=1839 | title=Narrative of the surveying voyages of His Majesty's Ships Adventure and Beagle between the years 1826 and 1836, describing their examination of the southern shores of South America, and the Beagle's circumnavigation of the globe. Journal and remarks. 1832–1836. | title-link =The Voyage of the Beagle| place =London | publisher =[[Henry Colburn]] | page=619}}
* In page 57, Darwin says "The largest gnawing animal in the world, the ''Hydrochærus Capybara'' (the water-hog), is here also common."
* See it also in [http://darwin-online.org.uk/content/frameset?itemID=F10.3&viewtype=side&pageseq=1 The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online]</ref>

==Classification and phylogeny==
The capybara and the [[lesser capybara]] both belong to the subfamily [[Hydrochoerinae]] along with the [[Kerodon|rock cavies]]. The living capybaras and their extinct relatives were previously classified in their own family Hydrochoeridae.<ref name=r4/> Since 2002, molecular phylogenetic studies have recognized a close relationship between ''Hydrochoerus'' and ''[[Kerodon]]'', the rock cavies,<ref name="Rowe 2002"/> supporting placement of both genera in a subfamily of [[Caviidae]].<ref name=msw3/>

Paleontological classifications previously used Hydrochoeridae for all capybaras, while using Hydrochoerinae for the living genus and its closest fossil relatives, such as ''[[Neochoerus]]'',<ref name="Vucetich 2005"/><ref name="Deschamp 2007"/> but more recently have adopted the classification of Hydrochoerinae within Caviidae.<ref name="Cerdeño 2019">{{cite journal|last1=Cerdeño |first1=E. |last2=Pérez |first2=M.E. |last3=Deschamps |first3=C.M. |last4=Contreras |first4=V.H. |year=2019 |title=A new capybara from the late Miocene of San Juan Province, Argentina, and its phylogenetic implications |journal=Acta Palaeontologica Polonica |volume=64 |issue=1 |pages=199–212 |doi=10.4202/app.00544.2018|doi-access=free |hdl=11336/117299 |hdl-access=free }}</ref> The taxonomy of fossil hydrochoerines is also in a state of flux. In recent years, the diversity of fossil hydrochoerines has been substantially reduced.<ref name="Vucetich 2005"/><ref name="Deschamp 2007"/> This is largely due to the recognition that capybara molar teeth show strong variation in shape over the life of an individual. In one instance, material once referred to four genera and seven species on the basis of differences in molar shape is now thought to represent differently aged individuals of a single species, ''Cardiatherium paranense''.<ref name="Vucetich 2005"/>
Among fossil species, the name "capybara" can refer to the many species of Hydrochoerinae that are more closely related to the modern ''Hydrochoerus'' than to the "cardiomyine" rodents like ''Cardiomys''. The fossil genera ''Cardiatherium'', ''Phugatherium'', ''Hydrochoeropsis'', and ''Neochoerus'' are all capybaras under that concept.<ref name="Cerdeño 2019" />

==Description==
{{multiple image
 | image1 = Taxidermy specimen of Capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris).jpg
 | alt1 = Taxidermy specimen of a capybara
 | image2 = Capybara skeleton.jpg
 | alt2 = Skeleton of a capybara
 | footer = From left to right: Taxidermy specimen and skeleton of a capybara
 | align = left
}}
The capybara has a heavy, barrel-shaped body and short head, with reddish-brown fur on the upper part of its body that turns yellowish-brown underneath. Its sweat glands can be found in the surface of the hairy portions of its skin, an unusual trait among rodents.<ref name="r4" /> The animal lacks [[Fur#Down hair|down hair]], and its [[Fur#Guard hair|guard hair]] differs little from over hair.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/10-delightful-facts-about-capybaras.html|title=The Cabybara – 10 Facts About the World's Largest Rodent|website=WorldAtlas|date=26 July 2019|language=en|access-date=2020-03-18}}</ref>

Adult capybaras grow to {{convert|106|to|134|cm|ft|abbr=on}} in length, stand {{convert|50|to|62|cm|in|abbr=on}} tall at the [[withers]], and typically weigh {{convert|35|to|66|kg|lb|abbr=on}}, with an average in the Venezuelan [[llanos]] of {{convert|48.9|kg|lb|abbr=on}}.<ref name=Arkive>[http://www.arkive.org/capybara/hydrochoerus-hydrochaeris/#text=Facts Capybara] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120103075238/http://www.arkive.org/capybara/hydrochoerus-hydrochaeris/#text=Facts#text=Facts |date=2012-01-03 }}, Arkive</ref><ref name="Smithsonian"/><ref name="Palm Beach Zoo"/> Females are slightly heavier than males. The top recorded weights are {{convert|91|kg|lb|abbr=on}} for a wild female from Brazil and {{convert|73.5|kg|lb|abbr=on}} for a wild male from Uruguay.<ref name=r4/><ref name=r3/> Also, an 81&nbsp;kg individual was reported in São Paulo in 2001 or 2002.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Ferraz |first1=Katia Maria Paschoaletto Micchi de Barros |last2=Bonach |first2=Kelly |last3=Verdade |first3=Luciano Martins |title=Relationship between body mass and body length in capybaras (''Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris'') |journal=Biota Neotropica |date=2005 |volume=5 |issue=1 |pages=197–200 |doi=10.1590/S1676-06032005000100020 |doi-access=free }}</ref> The [[dental formula]] is {{DentalFormula|upper=1.0.1.3|lower=1.0.1.3}}. Capybaras have slightly [[Interdigital webbing|webbed]] feet and [[Vestigiality|vestigial]] tails.<ref name=r4/> Their hind legs are slightly longer than their forelegs; they have three toes on their rear feet and four toes on their front feet.<ref name="enchantedlearning.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/mammals/rodent/Capybaraprintout.shtml |title=Capybara Printout |publisher=Enchantedlearning.com |access-date=2013-05-27}}</ref> Their muzzles are blunt, with nostrils, and the eyes and ears are near the top of their heads.

Its [[karyotype]] has [[Diploid|2n]] = 66 and [[Fundamental number|FN]] = 102, meaning it has 66 chromosomes with a total of 102 arms.<ref name=msw3/><ref name=r4/>

==Ecology==
[[File:Cattle tyrant (Machetornis rixosa) on Capybara.jpg|thumb|left|[[Cattle tyrant]] on a capybara]]

Capybaras are [[semiaquatic]] mammals<ref name="Palm Beach Zoo"/> found throughout all countries of South America except [[Chile]].<ref name="Bristol"/> They live in densely forested areas near bodies of water, such as lakes, rivers, swamps, ponds, and marshes,<ref name="Smithsonian"/> as well as flooded savannah and along rivers in the tropical rainforest. They are superb swimmers and can hold their breath underwater for up to five minutes at a time. Capybara have flourished in cattle ranches. They roam in home ranges averaging {{convert|10|ha|acre|abbr=off}} in high-density populations.<ref name=r4/>

Many escapees from captivity can also be found in similar watery habitats around the world. Sightings are fairly common in [[Florida]], although a breeding population has not yet been confirmed.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/nonnatives/mammals/capybara/|title=Nonnatives – Capybara|website=myfwc.com|access-date=2013-08-30|archive-date=2014-04-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140406221051/http://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/nonnatives/mammals/capybara/}}</ref> In 2011, one specimen was spotted on the [[Central Coast (California)|Central Coast of California]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-0818-capybara-20110818,0,104462.story|title=A gnawing question answered: It's a capybara roaming Paso Robles|last=Mather|first=Kate|date=18 August 2011|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=10 January 2012}}</ref> These escaped populations occur in areas where prehistoric capybaras inhabited; [[late Pleistocene]] capybaras inhabited Florida<ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://bioone.org/journals/proceedings-of-the-academy-of-natural-sciences-of-philadelphia/volume-167/issue-1/053.167.0105/A-Late-Pleistocene-capybara-Rodentia-Caviidae-Hydrochoerinae-from-near-Houston/10.1635/053.167.0105.short|doi=10.1635/053.167.0105|title=A Late Pleistocene capybara (Rodentia, Caviidae, Hydrochoerinae) from near Houston, Texas, USA, with a brief review of North American fossil capybaras|year=2020|last1=Baskin|first1=Jon|last2=Gervais|first2=P. Darrow|last3=Gervais|first3=Camille J.|journal=Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia|volume=167|page=57|s2cid=216241471|url-access=subscription}}</ref> and ''[[Hydrochoerus hesperotiganites]]'' in [[California]] and ''[[Hydrochoerus gaylordi]]'' in [[Grenada]], and feral capybaras in North America may actually fill the ecological niche of the Pleistocene species.<ref>Erick J. Lundgren, Daniel Ramp, John Rowan, Owen Middleton, Simon D. Schowanek, Oscar Sanisidro, Scott P. Carroll, Matt Davis, Christopher J. Sandom, Jens-Christian Svenning, Arian D. Wallach, James A. Estes, 2020, ''[https://www.pnas.org/content/117/14/7871 Introduced herbivores restore Late Pleistocene ecological functions]'', PNAS, 117 (14), pp.7871-7878, [[Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America]]</ref>

===Diet and predation===
[[File:Capybara Eating Hay 11 11 2018.jpg|thumb|A capybara eating hay at [[Franklin Park Zoo]], Boston, Massachusetts]]

Capybaras are [[herbivore]]s, grazing mainly on grasses and [[aquatic plants]],<ref name="Smithsonian"/><ref name="RevBiolTrop"/> as well as fruit and tree bark.<ref name="Palm Beach Zoo"/> They are very selective feeders<ref name="Quintana 1998"/> and feed on the leaves of one species and disregard other species surrounding it. They eat a greater variety of plants during the dry season, as fewer plants are available. While they eat grass during the wet season, they have to switch to more abundant reeds during the dry season.<ref name="Barreto 1998"/> Plants that capybaras eat during the summer lose their nutritional value in the winter, so they are not consumed at that time.<ref name="Quintana 1998"/> The capybara's jaw hinge is not perpendicular, so they chew food by grinding back-and-forth rather than side-to-side.<ref name="SFZoo"/> Capybaras are [[coprophagous|autocoprophagous]],<ref name="taronga-zoo"/> meaning they eat their own feces as a source of bacterial [[gut flora]], to help digest the [[cellulose]] in the grass that forms their normal diet, and to extract the maximum protein and vitamins from their food. They also regurgitate food to masticate again, similar to cud-chewing by cattle.<ref name="taronga-zoo">{{cite web |title=Meet Taronga's Capybaras |url=https://taronga.org.au/sydney-zoo/must-see/capybaras |website=Taronga Zoo |access-date=29 December 2021 |ref=taronga-zoo}}</ref><ref name="Lord-Rexford 1994"/> Like other rodents, a capybara's front teeth grow continually to compensate for the constant wear from eating grasses;<ref name="Bristol"/> their cheek teeth also grow continuously.<ref name="SFZoo"/> 

Like its relative the guinea pig, the capybara does not have the capacity to synthesize [[vitamin C]], and capybaras not supplemented with vitamin C in captivity have been reported to develop [[Periodontal disease|gum disease]] as a sign of [[scurvy]].<ref name=r2/>

The maximum lifespan of the capybara is 8 to 10 years,<ref name=r6/> but in the wild capybaras usually do not live longer than four years because of predation from South American [[big cats]] such as [[jaguar]]s and [[cougar]]s and from non-mammalian predators such as [[harpy eagle]]s, [[caiman]]s, [[Eunectes murinus|green anaconda]]s and [[piranha]]s.<ref name="Bristol"/><ref name="SoundsandColours"/>

==Social organization==
[[File:Capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) alpha male.JPG|thumb|right|Capybaras have a scent gland on their noses.]]

Capybaras are known to be [[gregarious]]. While they sometimes live solitarily, they are more commonly found in groups of around 10–20 individuals, with two to four adult males, four to seven adult females, and the remainder juveniles.<ref name="Alho 1987"/> Capybara groups can consist of as many as 50 or 100 individuals during the dry season<ref name="Lord-Rexford 1994"/><ref name="Macdonald 1981"/> when the animals gather around available water sources. Males establish social bonds, dominance, or general group consensus.<ref name="Macdonald 1981"/> They can make dog-like barks<ref name="Lord-Rexford 1994"/> when threatened or when females are herding young.<ref name="Murphey 1985"/>

Capybaras have two types of [[scent gland]]s: a morrillo, located on the snout, and [[anal gland]]s. Both sexes have these glands, but males have much larger morrillos and use their anal glands more frequently. The anal glands of males are also lined with detachable hairs. A crystalline form of scent secretion is coated on these hairs and is released when in contact with objects such as plants. These hairs have a longer-lasting scent mark and are tasted by other capybaras. Capybaras scent-mark by rubbing their morrillos on objects, or by walking over scrub and marking it with their anal glands. Capybaras can spread their scent farther by urinating; however, females usually mark without urinating and scent-mark less frequently than males overall. Females mark more often during the wet season when they are in [[estrus]]. In addition to objects, males also scent-mark females.<ref name="Macdonald 1984"/>

===Reproduction===
[[File:Young capybaras.jpg|thumb|left|Mother with typical litter of about four pups]]
When in [[estrus]], the female's scent changes subtly and nearby males begin pursuit.<ref name="Herrera 1993">{{cite journal|doi=10.1093/beheco/4.2.114|title= Aggression, dominance, and mating success among capybara males (''Hydrochaeris hypdrochaeris'')|year=1993|last1=Herrera|first1=Emilio A.|last2=MacDonald|first2=David W.|journal=[[Behavioral Ecology (journal)|Behavioral Ecology]]|volume=4|issue=2|page=114}}</ref> In addition, a female alerts males she is in estrus by whistling through her nose.<ref name="Lord-Rexford 1994"/> During mating, the female has the advantage and mating choice. Capybaras mate only in water, and if a female does not want to mate with a certain male, she either submerges or leaves the water.<ref name="Lord-Rexford 1994"/><ref name="Macdonald 1981"/> Dominant males are highly protective of the females, but they usually cannot prevent some of the subordinates from copulating. The larger the group, the harder it is for the male to watch all the females. Dominant males secure significantly more matings than each subordinate, but subordinate males, as a class, are responsible for more matings than each dominant male.<ref name="Herrera 1993"/> The lifespan of the capybara's sperm is longer than that of other rodents.<ref name=r1/> Capybara [[gestation]] is 130–150 days, and produces a litter of four young on average, but may produce between one and eight in a single litter.<ref name=r4/> Birth is on land and the female rejoins the group within a few hours of delivering the newborn capybaras, which join the group as soon as they are mobile. Within a week, the young can eat grass, but continue to suckle—from any female in the group—until weaned around 16 weeks. The young form a group within the main group.<ref name="Bristol"/> [[Alloparenting]] has been observed in this species.<ref name="Macdonald 1981"/> Breeding peaks between April and May in Venezuela and between October and November in [[Mato Grosso]], Brazil.<ref name=r4/>

===Activities===
Though quite agile on land, capybaras are equally at home in the water. They are excellent swimmers, and can remain completely submerged for up to five minutes,<ref name="Smithsonian"/> an ability they use to evade predators. Capybaras can sleep in water, keeping only their noses out. As temperatures increase during the day, they wallow in water and then graze during the late afternoon and early evening.<ref name=r4/> They also spend time wallowing in mud.<ref name="enchantedlearning.com"/> They rest around midnight and then continue to graze before dawn.<ref name="r4" />

===Communication===
Capybaras communicate using barks, chirps, whistles, huffs, and purrs.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://zoo.sandiegozoo.org/animals/capybara | title=Capybara }}</ref>

[[File:Capybara Ueno Zoo 2009.ogv|thumb|A capybara in captivity, 2009]]

==Conservation and human interaction==
Capybaras are not considered a threatened species;<ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021" /> their population is stable throughout most of their South American range, though in some areas hunting has reduced their numbers.<ref name="Smithsonian"/><ref name="Bristol"/> Capybaras are hunted for their meat and pelts in some areas,<ref name="inRich" /> and otherwise killed by humans who see their grazing as competition for livestock. In some areas, they are farmed, which has the effect of ensuring the wetland habitats are protected. Their survival is aided by their ability to breed rapidly.<ref name="Bristol" />

Capybaras have adapted well to urbanization in South America. They can be found in many areas in zoos and parks,<ref name="SFZoo" /> and may live for 12 years in captivity, more than double their wild lifespan.<ref name="Bristol" /> Capybaras are docile and usually allow humans to pet and hand-feed them, but physical contact is normally discouraged, as their [[tick]]s can be [[vector (epidemiology)|vectors]] to [[Rocky Mountain spotted fever]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://drauziovarella.com.br/audios-videos/estacao-medicina/febre-maculosa/ |title=Febre maculosa: "Os médicos no Brasil não conhecem a doença|date=12 April 2011|trans-title= Rocky Mountain spotted fever: Brazilian doctors unaware of the disease |language=pt |publisher=drauziovarella.com.br |access-date=2015-08-13}}</ref> The [[European Association of Zoos and Aquaria]] asked [[Drusillas Park]] in [[Alfriston]], [[Sussex]], England, to keep the [[studbook]] for capybaras, to monitor captive populations in Europe. The studbook includes information about all births, deaths and movements of capybaras, as well as how they are related.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.drusillas.co.uk/conservation-1 |title=Conservation at Drusillas Park |publisher=Drusillas.co.uk |access-date=2013-05-27}}</ref>

Capybaras are farmed for meat and skins in South America.<ref name="SDzoo"/> The meat is considered unsuitable to eat in some areas, while in other areas it is considered an important source of protein.<ref name=r4/> In parts of South America, especially in Venezuela, capybara meat is popular during [[Lent]] and [[Holy Week]] as the Catholic Church (according to a legend) previously issued special dispensation to allow it to be eaten while other meats are [[Fasting and abstinence in the Catholic Church|generally forbidden]].<ref name="NYSun"/><ref name="NYTimes2007">{{Cite news |last=Romero |first=Simon |date=2007-03-21 |title=In Venezuela, Rodents Can Be a Delicacy |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/21/world/americas/21rodent.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20131014211839/http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/21/world/americas/21rodent.html?_r=0 |archive-date=14 Oct 2013 |access-date=2021-04-27 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331 |quote=Legend has it that eating capybara, known here as chigüire (pronounced chee-GWEE-reh), got a boost in the 18th century when the local clergy asked the Vatican to give capybara the status of fish. (...) It remains more popular in Venezuela’s rural interior than in the capital.}}</ref> There is widespread perception in Venezuela that consumption of capybaras is exclusive to rural people.<ref name="NYTimes2007"/>

In August 2021, Argentine and international media reported that capybaras had been disturbing residents of [[Nordelta]], an affluent gated community north of [[Buenos Aires]] built atop the local capybara's preexisting wetland habitat. This inspired social media users to jokingly adopt the capybara as a symbol of [[class struggle]] and [[communism]].<ref name="TheGuardian_20210822">{{cite web|title=Attack of the giant rodents or class war? Argentina's rich riled by new neighbors|newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=22 August 2021 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/aug/22/argentina-capybaras-giant-rodents-gated-community |last=Goñi |first=Uki}}</ref> Brazilian Lyme-like [[borreliosis]] likely involves capybaras as reservoirs and ''[[Amblyomma]]'' and ''[[Rhipicephalus]]'' ticks as vectors.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Basile |first1=Roberta Carvalho |last2=Yoshinari |first2=Natalino Hajime |last3=Mantovani |first3=Elenice |last4=Bonoldi |first4=Virgínia Nazário |last5=Macoris |first5=Delphim da Graça |last6=Queiroz-Neto |first6=Antonio de |title=Brazilian borreliosis with special emphasis on humans and horses |journal=Brazilian Journal of Microbiology |date=4 October 2016 |volume=48 |issue=1 |pages=167–172 |doi=10.1016/j.bjm.2016.09.005 |pmid=27769883 |pmc=5220628 }}</ref>

A [[Animal cafe#Capybara café|Capybara café]] in [[St. Augustine, Florida|St. Augustine]], [[Florida]]  allows visitors to interact with and give head scratches to the rodents.<ref>{{cite news|title=Giant rodents cuddle with visitors at the Capybara Cafe in Florida|url=https://apnews.com/article/florida-capybara-cafe-st-augustine-54ce3807f084e9de61f72a79c6633e10|newspaper=Associated Press News|date=April 12, 2025}}</ref>

== In popular culture ==
[[Izu Shaboten Zoo]] and other zoos in Japan have prepared [[onsen|hot spring baths]] for capybaras.<ref name="reuters">{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-olympics-2020-capybara-idCAKBN1ZY0FY|title=Olympics and Year of the Rat give starring role to Japan's capybaras|website=[[Reuters]]|first=Sakura|last=Murakami|date=4 February 2020|accessdate=23 October 2021}}</ref> Video clips of the bathing capybaras have gained millions of views.<ref name="reuters"/> The capybaras have influenced an anime character named ''Kapibara-san'', and a series of merchandise such as [[plush toy]]s.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://qz.com/986398/how-the-capybara-the-worlds-largest-rodent-became-a-superstar-in-japan/|title=How the world's largest rodent became a superstar in Japan|website=[[Quartz (publication)|Quartz]]|first=Isabella|last=Steger|date=19 May 2017|accessdate=23 October 2021}}</ref> 

Capybaras have long been a figure in [[Internet meme|meme culture]],<ref>{{cite news |last1=Diaz |first1=Ana |title=Capybaras are taking over TikTok and we’re better for it |url=https://www.polygon.com/23620358/capybara-tiktok-meme-audio-trend |access-date=28 February 2025 |work=Polygon |date=March 2, 2023}}</ref> particularly in the 2020s.<ref name="euronewsmeme">{{cite news |last1=Mouriquand |first1=David |title=Why are capybaras systematically taking over social media? |url=https://www.euronews.com/culture/2023/04/12/why-are-capybaras-systematically-taking-over-social-media |access-date=24 February 2025 |work=Euro News |date=December 4, 2023}}</ref> In 2022, [[Peronists]] in Argentina presented them as figures of class struggle after the disturbances in Nordelta.<ref name=TheGuardian_20210822 /> Common meme formats pair capybaras with the song "[[After Party (song)|After Party]]" by [[Don Toliver]].<ref name="euronewsmeme"/><ref>{{Cite web |last=Lopez |first=Sophia |date=2022-08-01 |title=Capybaras are taking over the internet |url=https://thegauntlet.ca/2022/08/01/capybaras-are-taking-over-the-internet/ |access-date=2022-09-02 |website=The Gauntlet |language=en-US}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Mammals|South America}}
* ''[[Josephoartigasia monesi]]'', an extinct species identified as the largest known rodent ever
* [[Kurloff cell]], a type of cell found in capybaras and guinea pigs
* ''[[Capybara Walking]]'', a historical animal locomotion film by [[Eadweard Muybridge]]

==Notes==
<references group="note" />
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em|refs=
<ref name="Bristol">[http://www.bristolzoo.org.uk/learning/animals/mammals/capybara Bristol Zoo Gardens (UK) ''Capybara''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070918183854/http://www.bristolzoo.org.uk/learning/animals/mammals/capybara |date=2007-09-18 }}. Bristolzoo.org.uk. Retrieved on 2011-12-07.</ref>
<ref name="Barreto 1998">{{cite journal |title=Foraging patterns of capybaras in a seasonally flooded savanna of Venezuela| jstor=2559868|doi=10.1017/S0266467498000078 |year=1998 |last1=Barreto |first1=Guillermo R. |last2=Herrera |first2=Emilio A. |journal=Journal of Tropical Ecology |volume=14 | issue=1| pages=87–98| s2cid=84982123}}</ref>
<ref name="Quintana 1998">{{cite journal |last1=Quintana |first1=R.D. |last2=Monge |first2=S. |last3=Malvárez |first3=A.I. |title=Feeding patterns of capybara ''Hydrochaeris hydrochaeris'' (Rodentia, Hydrochaeridae) and cattle in the non-insular area of the Lower Delta of the Paraná River, Argentina |journal=Mammalia |date=1998 |volume=62 |issue=1 |pages=37–52 |doi=10.1515/mamm.1998.62.1.37 |s2cid=83976640 }}</ref>
<ref name=r6>Burton M and Burton R. (2002) ''The International Wildlife Encyclopedia''. Marshall Cavendish, {{ISBN|0-7614-7269-X}}, p. 384</ref>
<ref name="SoundsandColours">[http://soundsandcolours.com/subjects/south-american-nature/capybara-the-master-of-the-grasses-pest-or-prey-3937/ Capybara, the master of the grasses: pest or prey]  Sounds and Colours. Retrieved on 23 January 2011.</ref>
<ref name="SFZoo">[https://web.archive.org/web/20070614005832/http://www.sfzoo.org/cgi-bin/animals.py?ID=90 Capybara. ''Hydrochaeris hydrochaeris'']. San Francisco Zoo</ref>
<ref name="SDzoo">{{cite web  | date = October 2008  | publisher = San Diego Zoo  | title = Capybara, ''Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris''  | url = http://library.sandiegozoo.org/factsheets/capybara/capybara.htm  | access-date = 22 June 2011  | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110930051431/http://library.sandiegozoo.org/factsheets/capybara/capybara.htm  | archive-date = 30 September 2011  | df = dmy-all  }}</ref>
<ref name="Alho 1987">{{cite journal |last1=Alho |first1=Cleber J.R. |last2=Rondon |first2=Nelson L. |title=Habitats, population densities, and social structure of capybaras (''Hydrochaeris Hydrochaeris'', Rodentia) in the Pantanal, Brazil |journal=[[Revista Brasileira de Zoologia]] |date=1987 |volume=4 |issue=2 |pages=139–149 |doi=10.1590/s0101-81751987000200006 |doi-access=free }}</ref>
<ref name="Lord-Rexford 1994">{{cite journal |last1=Lord |first1=Rexford D. |title=A descriptive account of capybara behaviour |journal=Studies on Neotropical Fauna and Environment |date=March 1994 |volume=29 |issue=1 |pages=11–22 |doi=10.1080/01650529409360912 |bibcode=1994SNFE...29...11L }}</ref>
<ref name="Macdonald 1981">{{cite journal |last1=Macdonald |first1=D. W. |title=Dwindling resources and the social behaviour of Capybaras, (''Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris'') (Mammalia) |journal=Journal of Zoology |date=July 1981 |volume=194 |issue=3 |pages=371–391 |doi=10.1111/j.1469-7998.1981.tb04588.x }}</ref>
<ref name="Murphey 1985">{{cite journal |last1=Murphey |first1=Robert M. |last2=Mariano |first2=Jorge S. |last3=Moura Duarte |first3=Francisco A. |title=Behavioral observations in a capybara colony (''Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris'') |journal=Applied Animal Behaviour Science |date=May 1985 |volume=14 |issue=1 |pages=89–98 |doi=10.1016/0168-1591(85)90040-1 }}</ref>
<ref name=r1>{{cite journal |last1=Paula |first1=T.A.R. |last2=Chiarini-Garcia |first2=H. |last3=França |first3=L.R. |title=Seminiferous epithelium cycle and its duration in capybaras (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) |journal=Tissue and Cell |date=June 1999 |volume=31 |issue=3 |pages=327–334 |doi=10.1054/tice.1999.0039 |pmid=10481304 }}</ref>
<ref name=r2>{{cite journal |last1=Cueto |first1=Gerardo Ruben |last2=Allekotte |first2=Roman |last3=Kravetz |first3=Fernando Osvaldo |title=Scurvy in capybaras bred in captivity in Argentine |journal=Journal of Wildlife Diseases |date=January 2000 |volume=36 |issue=1 |pages=97–101 |doi=10.7589/0090-3558-36.1.97 |pmid=10682750 |s2cid=6491859 |doi-access=free }}</ref>
<ref name=r3>[http://www.waza.org/virtualzoo/factsheet.php?id=110-020-001-001&view=Rodents%20and%20Hares&main=virtualzoo World Association of Zoos and Aquariums]. [[World Association of Zoos and Aquariums|WAZA]]. Retrieved on 2011-12-07.</ref>
<ref name=r4>{{cite journal |last1=Mones |first1=Alvaro |last2=Ojasti |first2=Juhani |title=Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris |journal=Mammalian Species |date=16 June 1986 |issue=264 |pages=1–7 |doi=10.2307/3503784 |jstor=3503784 |s2cid=250991487 |doi-access=free }}</ref>
<ref name="Smithsonian">[https://web.archive.org/web/20050930231549/http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/Amazonia/Facts/capybarafacts.cfm Capybara Facts.] [[Smithsonian National Zoological Park]]. Retrieved on 16 December 2007.</ref>
<ref name="Palm Beach Zoo">[https://web.archive.org/web/20100620162726/http://palmbeachzoo.org/animals/capybara.html Capybara.] Palm Beach Zoo. Retrieved on 17 December 2007.</ref>
<ref name="Macdonald 1984">{{cite journal |last1=Macdonald |first1=D. W. |last2=Krantz |first2=K. |last3=Aplin |first3=R. T. |title=Behavioral anatomical and chemical aspects of scent marking among Capybaras (''Hydrochaeris hypdrochaeris'') (Rodentia: Caviomorpha) |journal=Journal of Zoology |date=March 1984 |volume=202 |issue=3 |pages=341–360 |doi=10.1111/j.1469-7998.1984.tb05087.x }}</ref>
<ref name="RevBiolTrop">{{cite journal |last1=Forero-Montaña |first1=Jimena |last2=Betancur |first2=Julio |last3=Cavelier |first3=Jaime |title=Dieta del capibara ''Hydrochaeris hydrochaeris'' (Rodentia: Hydrochaeridae) en Caño Limón, Arauca, Colombia |trans-title=Distribution and abundance of Caiman crocodilus in the Caño Negro National Wild Life Refuge, Costa Rica |language=es |journal=[[Revista de Biología Tropical]] |date=June 2003 |volume=51 |issue=2 |pages=571–578 |url=https://www.scielo.sa.cr/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0034-77442003000200029 |pmid=15162749 }}</ref><ref name="NYSun">Ellsworth, Brian (24 March 2005). [http://www.nysun.com/article/11063 "In Days Before Easter, Venezuelans Tuck Into Rodent-Related Delicacy"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080705215536/http://www.nysun.com/article/11063 |date=5 July 2008 }}. ''[[New York Sun]]''.</ref>
<ref name="inRich">Thompson, Andy (18 January 2008) [https://archive.today/20130204101346/http://www2.timesdispatch.com/lifestyles/2008/jan/18/-rtd_2008_01_18_0043-ar-147752/ Trip to South America gives new meaning to outdoors life]. Richmond Times.</ref>
<ref name="Rowe 2002">{{cite journal |last1=Rowe |first1=Diane L. |last2=Honeycutt |first2=Rodney L. |title=Phylogenetic Relationships, Ecological Correlates, and Molecular Evolution Within the Cavioidea (Mammalia, Rodentia) |journal=Molecular Biology and Evolution |date=March 2002 |volume=19 |issue=3 |pages=263–277 |doi=10.1093/oxfordjournals.molbev.a004080 |pmid=11861886 |doi-access=free }}</ref>
<ref name="Vucetich 2005">{{cite journal |last1=Vucetich |first1=María G. |last2=Deschamps |first2=Cecilia M. |last3=Olivares |first3=Itatí |last4=Dozo |first4=María T. |title=Capybaras, size, shape, and time: A model kit |journal=Acta Palaeontologica Polonica |volume=50 |issue=2 |year=2005 |pages=259–272 |url=https://www.app.pan.pl/article/item/app50-259.html }}</ref>
<ref name="Deschamp 2007">{{cite journal |last1=Deschamps |first1=Cecilia M. |last2=Olivares |first2=Itatí |last3=Vieytes |first3=Emma Carolina |last4=Vucetich |first4=María Guiomar |title=Ontogeny and diversity of the oldest capybaras (Rodentia: Hydrochoeridae; late Miocene of Argentina) |journal=Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology |date=12 September 2007 |volume=27 |issue=3 |pages=683–692 |doi=10.1671/0272-4634(2007)27[683:oadoto]2.0.co;2 |jstor=30126368 |s2cid=86217854 }}</ref>
}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Hydrochoeris hydrochaeris|Hydrochoeris_hydrochaeris}}
{{EB1911 poster|Capybara}}
{{Wikispecies|Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris}}
{{Wiktionary|capybara}}
* {{cite web|title=Companionable Capybaras (18 Photos)|author=Alan Taylor|date=29 November 2018|website=The Atlantic|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2018/11/photos-companionable-capybaras/576991/}}
* [https://animaldiversity.org/site/accounts/information/Hydrochoerus_hydrochaeris.html Animal Diversity Web ''Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris'']
* [https://capybarafacts.com Capybara information]

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