Capybara                  Welcome to Zonein's South American Animal information files.
Common name: Capybara

Scientific name: Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris

Location: Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina, Guyana, Suriname, French Guyana, Uruguay, Peru, Paraguay.

Size: up to 130 centimetres in length, and weigh up to 65 kg.

Life Span: 12 years

Current Status: not endangered

Habitat: densely forested areas near lakes, rivers, swamps, ponds and marshes, and flooded savannah

Fast facts:
--- largest rodent in the world
--- eats grasses and aquatic plants

 

Capybara
Capybara Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris at the Zona Brazil exhibit at Bristol Zoo, Bristol, England.
The world's largest living rodent. Semi-aquatic, swims and dives with ease. Inhabits South America from Panama to northern Argentina.Lives in lowland and wetland. Eats grasses, aquatic plants and grains. text and photo by Adrian Pingstone