The friendliest giant in the rodent world
The capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) looks like a guinea pig that never stopped growing, and in a sense that is exactly what it is. This barrel-bodied, water-loving mammal is the largest living rodent on Earth, and its calm temperament has turned it into one of the internet's most beloved animals. Behind the memes, though, is a genuinely remarkable wetland specialist. Here are twelve facts worth knowing.
12 facts about the capybara
- It is the world's heaviest rodent. Large adults reach about 1.3 metres (over 4 feet) in body length and can weigh up to roughly 65 kilograms (about 140 pounds).
- It is semi-aquatic. Partially webbed feet make the capybara a strong, confident swimmer that spends much of its day in or beside water.
- It can vanish underwater. A capybara can stay fully submerged for up to about five minutes to hide from predators such as jaguars, caimans and anacondas.
- It sleeps in the water. It can doze with only its nose poking above the surface, like a furry snorkel.
- Its face is built for water. Eyes, ears and nostrils all sit high on the head, so it can stay alert while almost fully submerged.
- Its teeth never stop growing. Like other rodents, the capybara has continuously growing incisors that are worn down by a lifetime of grazing on tough grasses.
- It is a committed vegetarian. The diet is grasses and aquatic plants, plus fruit and bark, and it can be remarkably selective about which grass species it crops.
- It eats its own droppings. Capybaras practise coprophagy, re-ingesting their dung to squeeze more nutrients from fibrous plant matter, a trick shared with rabbits.
- It is highly social. Herds typically number around 10 to 20 animals, occasionally swelling to 50 or more where water concentrates in the dry season.
- It is a chatterbox. Capybaras communicate with barks, whistles, purrs and clicks to keep the group coordinated.
- Its babies hit the ground running. Pups are born well-developed, eyes open, and can walk, swim and nibble plants within hours.
- It has a tiny cousin. A separate, smaller species, the lesser capybara, lives west of the Andes, but the familiar capybara is the giant of the genus.
Why these gentle giants still need watching
The capybara is listed by the IUCN as Least Concern, with a stable overall population, but that headline hides local pressure from hunting for meat and hide, wetland drainage, and capture for the exotic-pet trade. You can read the full profile in our capybara species guide. Because two of the wetland regions where local partners work, in Brazil and Colombia, sit inside the capybara's range, protecting its habitat also protects the fish, birds and caimans that share it. If you would like to help, you can support wetland habitat protection.
Read the full Capybara wildlife guide for the facts, IUCN status and conservation context — or donate to WARN to help fund the local partners protecting this species.
