Message on the topic of capybara. Capybara-san: like the biggest and cutest rodent in the world. Reproduction and raising of offspring

About capybaras.

Capybara is the most large rodent living on planet earth. Another name for this animal is capybara, because the capybara spends a significant part of its existence in water.

The name of the animal can be translated from the language of the Guarani Indians as lord or master of herbs.

The length of the largest rodent can reach 1.5 meters, height 50-60 centimeters, and the weight of large individuals can reach 65 kilograms. The females of this animal are much larger than the males.

In the distant past, capybaras were much larger than they are now. Then their sizes were comparable to big bear grizzly. This fact was established through excavations and study of fossils.

The capybara's hind paws have three toes, but the front paws have four toes, both here and there, with membranes, as befits a waterfowl.

The capybara lives mainly in South America, near bodies of water fresh water, where it is quite warm. Animals live up to 12 years.

The rodent is an excellent swimmer and diver, and can spend quite a bit of time underwater. for a long time. The capybara's head slightly resembles the head of a hippopotamus. The eyes, ears and nostrils are located on the top of the head, allowing them to swim freely and avoid water getting into the ears, eyes and nose.

Capybaras live in small groups of about 20 individuals. All females care for all young. The group has one main male and several main females.

Capybaras are quite vulnerable. They have enemies both on land (jaguar, wild dogs, vultures) and in water (anacondas, caimans). They are very easy to scare. If frightened, the capybara immediately rushes into the water and hides in the thickets.

300 years ago, capybaras were considered fish because they were often seen in the water. Therefore, the meat of these animals could be consumed during fasting.

Capybaras lead a measured lifestyle. They sleep the whole night and several hours during the day. The rest of the time is spent on feeding. Despite the fact that capybaras spend a lot of time in the water, they are herbivores and do not fish. But in zoos they calmly eat fish.

The animals are not very clean, to the point that they eat their own excrement.

The tail of the animal is very poorly expressed, it is considered vestigial and practically does not perform any functions.

Rodents can reproduce all year round. Gestation of the cubs lasts, on average, five months. The female can give birth to 4 to 8 cubs. Newborn capybaras weigh about 1.5 kilograms, and immediately after birth they can stand on their feet and even walk.

The capybara can make a wide range of sounds: whistling, purring, clicking and even a sound that is similar to a dog barking. Male capybaras have a pineal olfactory gland on their muzzle. Females don't have one.

Six animals are solid colors: brown, gray or yellowish. Sometimes there may be small spots on the muzzle or rump.

In many areas of South America, the capybara is kept as a pet. She has a calm character and quickly gets used to people. There are even farms where capybaras are bred. Their meat is eaten.

This animal is the only one in its family.

The body length of an adult capybara reaches 1-1.35 m, height at the withers - 50-60 cm. Males weigh 34-63 kg, and females - 36-65.5 kg (measurements made in the Venezuelan Llanos). Females are usually larger than males.

The physique is heavy. Externally, the capybara resembles a giant large-headed guinea pig. The head is large, massive with a wide, blunt muzzle. The upper lip is thick. The ears are short and rounded. The nostrils are widely spaced. The eyes are small, located high on the head and set somewhat back. The tail is vestigial. The limbs are rather short; front - 4-toed (there were six fingers) [ clarify], hind ones - 3-toed. The toes are connected by small membranes and equipped with short, strong claws. The body is covered with long (30-120 mm) and coarse hair; there is no undercoat. The color of the upper side of the body is from reddish-brown to grayish, the ventral side is usually yellowish-brown. Young animals are lighter colored. In sexually mature males, on the upper part of the muzzle there is a patch of skin with numerous large sebaceous glands. Females have 6 pairs of abdominal nipples.

The skull is massive, with wide and strong zygomatic arches. There are 20 teeth. Cheek teeth without roots grow throughout the animal’s life. The incisors are wide and have a longitudinal groove on the outer surface. The tibia and tibia are partially fused to each other. There is no collarbone. There are 66 chromosomes in the diploid set.

Spreading

The capybara is found along the shores of various bodies of water in the tropical and temperate parts of Central and South America, east of the Andes - from Panama to Uruguay and northeast Argentina (up to 38°17" S, Buenos Aires province).

Featured in the following countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Venezuela, Guyana, Colombia, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, French Guiana. The distribution area includes the Orinoco, Amazon and La Plata river basins. The main factors limiting the spread are air and water temperature. In the mountains, capybaras are found up to an altitude of 1300 m above sea level.

Sometimes the dwarf capybara is considered a separate species, Hydrochoerus isthmius or capybara minor (Goldman, 1912). Found from Northern Panama to Colombia and Northwestern Venezuela. The size of the capybara is noticeably smaller than that of an ordinary capybara.

In fossil form, representatives of the capybara family are known from the Upper Miocene, and representatives of the subfamily Hydrochoerinae, to which the capybara belongs, is from the Upper Pliocene. All species of the family were distributed exclusively in the Southern and North America.

Lifestyle and nutrition

Leads a semi-aquatic lifestyle; it is rarely more than 500-1000 m away from the water. Its distribution is associated with seasonal fluctuations in water levels - during the rainy season, capybaras disperse throughout the territory, during the dry season they accumulate along the banks large rivers and other permanent bodies of water and often travel considerable distances in search of water and food.

These rodents are usually active during the day, but if they are often disturbed by people and predators, they switch to night look life.

The capybara swims and dives beautifully; The high location of the eyes, ears and nostrils on the head allows her to keep them above the water when swimming.

The animal's natural enemies are wild dogs, crocodiles, caimans and alligators, Orinoco crocodiles, jaguars, ocelots, and anacondas. From terrestrial predators they hide under water, breathing through nostrils that remain on the surface.

The capybara's diet in the wild includes fruits and tubers, hay and grass, and aquatic plants.

Social structure and reproduction

Capybaras are social animals that live in groups of 10-20 individuals. Groups consist of a dominant male, several adult females (with their own internal hierarchy), cubs and subordinate males located on the periphery of the group. 5-10% of capybaras, mostly males, live alone. A dominant male often expels competing males from the group. The drier the area, the larger the groups; During drought, up to several hundred individuals sometimes accumulate around reservoirs. On average, a capybara herd occupies an area of about 10 hectares. most time, however, spending on a plot of less than 1 hectare. The area is marked by secretions from the nasal and anal glands; There were conflicts between its permanent inhabitants and newcomers.

These animals communicate using whistles, clicking and barking sounds, as well as the smell of the secretion of the olfactory gland ( morrillo), which is located on the muzzle of males. During the mating season, males mark vegetation with secretions to attract females.

Capybaras can breed year-round, although mating usually occurs at the beginning of the rainy season (April–May in Venezuela; October–November in Mato Grosso, Brazil). Mating occurs in water. Pregnancy lasts about 150 days, with most births occurring between September and November (Venezuela). Childbirth takes place on the ground, not in shelters. The female gives birth to 2-8 cubs, which are born with fur, open eyes and teeth. Newborns weigh about 1.5 kg. All females in the group care for the newborns, which soon after birth can already follow the mother and feed on grass. Milk feeding, however, lasts up to 3-4 months. Under favorable conditions, there are up to 2-3 litters per year, but predominantly the female brings only one litter per year.

Capybaras become sexually mature at the age of 15-18 months, reaching a weight of 30-40 kg.

Capybara in history

About 300 years ago Catholic Church classified capybaras as fish. Thus, the ban on eating capybara meat during Lent was lifted.

Population status

The capybara is not a protected species. Agricultural development of land and the creation of pastureland often benefits capybaras, providing them with food and water during droughts. As a consequence, the number of capybaras in grassland areas may be higher than in undeveloped areas. The highest population density is estimated at 2-3.5 individuals/ha.

Currently, capybaras are bred in a semi-wild state on special farms (Venezuela) for meat and leather products; also used as a source of fat for pharmaceutical needs. Capybara meat tastes and looks like pork.

Sources

Ciszek, D. and C. Winters. 1999. (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 13, 2007.
Animal life: in 7 volumes / Ed. V. E. Sokolova. T.7. Mammals - 2nd ed., revised. - M.: Education, 1989. - 558 p. (Page 188).

Excerpt characterizing Capybara

Alexander I, the pacifier of Europe, a man who from his youth strove only for the good of his people, the first instigator of liberal innovations in his fatherland, now that he seems to have the greatest power and therefore the opportunity to do the good of his people, while Napoleon exile makes childish and deceitful plans about how he would make humanity happy if he had power, Alexander I, having fulfilled his calling and sensing the hand of God on himself, suddenly recognizes the insignificance of this imaginary power, turns away from it, transfers it into the hands of those despised by him and despised people and says only:
- “Not for us, not for us, but for your name!” I am a human being too, just like you; leave me to live as a human being and think about my soul and God.

Just as the sun and each atom of the ether is a ball, complete in itself and at the same time only an atom of a whole inaccessible to man due to the enormity of the whole, so each personality carries within itself its own goals and, at the same time, carries them in order to serve common goals inaccessible to man. .
A bee sitting on a flower stung a child. And the child is afraid of bees and says that the purpose of a bee is to sting people. The poet admires a bee digging into the calyx of a flower and says that the bee’s goal is to absorb the aroma of flowers. The beekeeper, noticing that the bee collects flower dust and brings it to the hive, says that the bee's goal is to collect honey. Another beekeeper, having studied the life of a swarm more closely, says that the bee collects dust to feed young bees and breed the queen, and that its goal is to procreate. The botanist notices that, by flying with the dust of a dioecious flower to the pistil, the bee fertilizes it, and the botanist sees the bee’s purpose in this. Another, observing the migration of plants, sees that the bee promotes this migration, and this new observer can say that this is the purpose of the bee. But final goal The bee's goal is not limited to either one, or the other, or the third goal, which the human mind is able to discover. The higher the human mind rises in the discovery of these goals, the more obvious to it is the inaccessibility of the final goal.
Man can only observe the correspondence between the life of a bee and other phenomena of life. Same with goals. historical figures and peoples.

The wedding of Natasha, who married Bezukhov in 13, was the last joyful event in old family Rostov. That same year, Count Ilya Andreevich died, and, as always happens, with his death the old family fell apart.
Events last year: the fire of Moscow and the flight from it, the death of Prince Andrei and Natasha’s despair, the death of Petya, the grief of the countess - all this, like blow after blow, fell on the head of the old count. He did not seem to understand and felt unable to understand the meaning of all these events and, morally bending his old head, as if he was expecting and asking for new blows that would finish him off. He seemed either frightened and confused, or unnaturally animated and adventurous.
Natasha's wedding occupied him for a while outside. He ordered lunches and dinners and, apparently, wanted to appear cheerful; but his joy was not communicated as before, but, on the contrary, aroused compassion in the people who knew and loved him.
After Pierre and his wife left, he became quiet and began to complain of melancholy. A few days later he fell ill and went to bed. From the first days of his illness, despite the doctors' consolations, he realized that he would not get up. The Countess, without undressing, spent two weeks in a chair at his head. Every time she gave him medicine, he sobbed and silently kissed her hand. On the last day, he sobbed and asked for forgiveness from his wife and in absentia from his son for the ruin of his estate - the main guilt that he felt for himself. Having received communion and special rites, he died quietly, and the next day a crowd of acquaintances who had come to pay their last respects to the deceased filled the Rostovs’ rented apartment. All these acquaintances, who had dined and danced with him so many times, who had laughed at him so many times, now all with the same feeling of inner reproach and tenderness, as if making excuses for someone, said: “Yes, whatever it was, there was the most wonderful Human. You won’t meet such people these days... And who doesn’t have their own weaknesses?..”
It was at a time when the count’s affairs were so confused that it was impossible to imagine how it would all end if it continued for another year, he unexpectedly died.
Nicholas was with the Russian troops in Paris when news of his father's death came to him. He immediately resigned and, without waiting for it, took a vacation and came to Moscow. The state of financial affairs a month after the count's death became completely clear, surprising everyone with the enormity of the amount of various small debts, the existence of which no one suspected. There were twice as many debts as estates.
Relatives and friends advised Nikolai to refuse the inheritance. But Nikolai saw the refusal of the inheritance as an expression of reproach to the sacred memory of his father and therefore did not want to hear about the refusal and accepted the inheritance with the obligation to pay debts.
The creditors, who had been silent for so long, being bound during the count's lifetime by the vague but powerful influence that his dissolute kindness had on them, suddenly filed for collection. A competition arose, as always happens, to see who would get it first, and the very people who, like Mitenka and others, had non-cash bills of exchange - gifts, now became the most demanding creditors. Nicholas was given neither time nor rest, and those who, apparently, pitied the old man, who was the culprit of their loss (if there were losses), now mercilessly attacked the young heir, who was obviously innocent before them, who voluntarily took upon himself to pay.
None of Nikolai's proposed turns succeeded; the estate was auctioned off at half price, and half of the debts still remained unpaid. Nikolai took the thirty thousand offered to him by his son-in-law Bezukhov to pay that part of the debts that he recognized as monetary, real debts. And in order not to be thrown into a hole for the remaining debts, which the creditors threatened him with, he again entered the service.
It was impossible to go to the army, where he was in the first vacancy of a regimental commander, because the mother was now holding on to her son as the last bait of life; and therefore, despite the reluctance to remain in Moscow in the circle of people who knew him before, despite his aversion to civil service, he took a position in the civil service in Moscow and, taking off his beloved uniform, settled with his mother and Sonya in a small apartment, on Sivtsev Vrazhek.
Natasha and Pierre lived at this time in St. Petersburg, without a clear idea of Nicholas' situation. Nikolai, having borrowed money from his son-in-law, tried to hide his plight. Nikolai's position was especially bad because with his one thousand two hundred rubles salary he not only had to support himself, Sonya and his mother, but he had to support his mother so that she would not notice that they were poor. The countess could not understand the possibility of life without the conditions of luxury familiar to her from childhood and constantly, not understanding how difficult it was for her son, she demanded either a carriage, which they did not have, in order to send for a friend, or expensive food for herself and wine for son, then money to give a surprise gift to Natasha, Sonya and the same Nikolai.
Sonya drove household, looked after her aunt, read aloud to her, endured her whims and hidden dislike, and helped Nikolai hide from the old countess the state of need in which they were. Nikolai felt an unpaid debt of gratitude to Sonya for everything she did for his mother, admired her patience and devotion, but tried to distance himself from her.
In his soul he seemed to reproach her for the fact that she was too perfect, and for the fact that there was nothing to reproach her for. She had everything for which people are valued; but there was little that would make him love her. And he felt that the more he appreciated, the less he loved her. He took her at her word, in her letter, with which she gave him freedom, and now he behaved with her as if everything that had happened between them had long been forgotten and could not in any case be repeated.
Nikolai's situation became worse and worse. The idea of saving from my salary turned out to be a dream. Not only did he not put it off, but, while satisfying his mother’s demands, he owed little things. He saw no way out of his situation. The thought of marrying a rich heiress, who was offered to him by his relatives, was disgusting to him. Another way out of his situation - the death of his mother - never occurred to him. He wanted nothing, hoped for nothing; and in the very depths of his soul he experienced a gloomy and stern pleasure in uncomplainingly enduring his situation. He tried to avoid former acquaintances with their condolences and offers of insulting help, avoided all distraction and entertainment, even at home he did nothing except lay out cards with his mother, silently walk around the room and smoke pipe after pipe. He seemed to diligently maintain within himself that gloomy mood of spirit in which alone he felt able to bear his situation.

At the beginning of winter, Princess Marya arrived in Moscow. From city rumors, she learned about the position of the Rostovs and how “the son sacrificed himself for his mother,” as they said in the city.
“I didn’t expect anything else from him,” Princess Marya said to herself, feeling a joyful confirmation of her love for him. Remembering our friendly and almost family relations to the whole family, she considered it her duty to go to them. But, remembering her relationship with Nikolai in Voronezh, she was afraid of this. Having made a great effort on herself, however, a few weeks after her arrival in the city, she came to the Rostovs.
Nikolai was the first to meet her, since the countess could only be reached through his room. At the first glance at her, Nikolai’s face, instead of the expression of joy that Princess Marya expected to see on him, took on an expression of coldness, dryness and pride that the princess had never seen before. Nikolai asked about her health, took her to her mother and, after sitting for about five minutes, left the room.

The capybara (capybara) is a herbivorous semi-aquatic mammal, the only representative of the capybara family. It is the largest modern rodent. Translated from the Guarani Indian language, “capybara” means “lord of herbs.” In the countries of South and Central America, this animal is called differently - corpincho, capugia, caprincho, poncho.

The body of an adult capybara reaches a length of 1-1.35 m, the height at the withers of the animal grows 50-60 cm. The weight of males is 34-63 kg, females - 36-65.5 kg. (all measurements were carried out in the llanos of Venezuela). As can already be seen from measurements, females are usually larger than males.

The capybara has a heavy build. Outwardly it resembles a huge guinea pig With big head. The capybara has a massive, large head and a blunt, wide muzzle. Thick upper lip, rounded, short ears, widely spaced nostrils. Small eyes are located high on the head, somewhat at the back. Vestigial tail. Quite short limbs. The front ones have four fingers, the back ones have three.

The fingers are connected by small, incomplete swimming membranes, and are crowned with short, strong claws. The body is covered with long (3-12 cm), coarse hair, so sparse that the skin is visible through it; there is no undercoat.

The color of the upper body ranges from grayish to brownish-red, abdominal part usually brownish-yellow. Young animals are painted in lighter colors. Sexually mature males have a skin area in the upper part of the muzzle with many large sebaceous glands, females have six pairs of nipples on the belly.

The capybara has a massive skull, the zygomatic arches are strong and the frontal bones are long and wide, and the nasal bones are wide. The occipital part of the skull is relatively narrow and does not have a sagittal crest. Large lacrimal bone, relatively small auditory drums.

The infraorbital foramen does not have a canal through which the nerve passes. The bony palate is narrowed in front. There are twenty teeth in the mouth. The cheek teeth do not have roots throughout the animal's life.

The left and right rows of cheek teeth come closer together in the anterior part. The third molars on the lower and upper jaws are larger than all other molars and are formed from transverse plates connected by cement. The incisors are white and wide. The upper incisors have a longitudinal groove on the outer surface. The tibia and fibula are partially fused to each other. The animal does not have a collarbone. There are 66 chromosomes in the diploid set.

Capybara can be found on the banks of various bodies of water in temperate and tropical parts South and Central America, east of the Andes - from northeast Argentina and Uruguay to Panama. It is also found in Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela, Guyana, Colombia, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and French Guiana. In addition, the distribution area includes the Amazon, Orinoco and La Plata river basins.

The main factors that limit the spread of capybaras are water and air temperature. In the mountains, these animals can be found up to an altitude of 1.3 km. above sea level.

Some people consider the pygmy capybara as a separate species, calling it the capybara. It is found from Northwestern Venezuela and Colombia to Northern Panama. The size of the capybara lags noticeably behind that of the ordinary capybara.

Starting from the Upper Miocene, one can trace what fossil capybaras looked like, and specifically the capybara - from the Upper Pliocene. All species of this family lived exclusively in North and South America.

Capybaras lead a semi-aquatic lifestyle, rarely moving further than 0.5-1 km from a body of water. The distribution of these animals is influenced by seasonal fluctuations in water: with the onset of the rainy season, capybaras disperse throughout the territory, and when the dry season begins, they gather on the banks big rivers and other permanent bodies of water. They often travel quite long distances in search of water and food.

The capybara is an excellent diver and swimmer. The ears, eyes and nostrils located high on the head allow them to be held when swimming above the water.

The only enemies of capybaras are crocodile caimans, wild dogs, alligators, ocelots, jaguars, anacondas. From attacks by land predators, they hide under water, while breathing through their nostrils remaining on the surface.

In the wild, capybaras feed on fruits, tubers, hay and grass, and aquatic plants. In captivity, their food is fish and pellet food.

Capybaras are social animals, living in groups, the number of which reaches 10-20 individuals. The group includes: a dominant male, several mature females (they have their own internal hierarchy), cubs and subordinate males who are on the periphery of the group. About 5-10% of total number Capybaras, mostly males, live alone. The dominant male often expels competing males from the group.

The drier the area the capybaras live in, the larger their groups. And in the dry season, near large bodies of water, it happens that several hundred animals accumulate there. On average, a capybara herd owns a territory of approximately 10 hectares, but the main area where the animals most often spend time is usually limited to 1 hectare. Animals mark the area with secretions from the anal and nasal glands. Conflicts sometimes arise between its permanent inhabitants and strangers.

Capybaras communicate through barking and clicking sounds, whistling, and the smell of secretions from the olfactory gland located on the males’ face. When mating season arrives, males leave marks on the vegetation with the secretion of this gland, thereby attracting females.

Capybaras are capable of breeding all year round, but they usually mate when the rainy season begins: in Venezuela this is April-May, in Brazil, Mato Grosso - October-November. The mating process takes place in water. The duration of pregnancy is approximately 150 days. Most cubs in Venezuela are born between September and November. Childbirth does not take place in a shelter, but simply on the ground.

The number of offspring ranges from 2 to 8 cubs, covered with hair, with already teethed and open eyes. The weight of newborns is about 1.5 kg. All females of the group care for the cubs. Soon after they are born, babies can move independently and eat grass. However, mother's milk remains in their diet for up to 3-4 months. In a year, one female in favorable conditions can bring 2-3 litters, but more often she brings one.

Capybaras reach sexual maturity at 15-18 months, when their body weight becomes 30-40 kg.

Capybaras are closely associated with water, and this once led to a curious incident. About 300 years ago, they were classified as fish by the Catholic Church, which lifted the ban on eating their meat during Lent. A similar thing was once done in Europe with a beaver. And nowadays, in South American markets, capybara meat is in great demand, although its taste different people Conflicting opinions are expressed.

The capybara is not a protected species. Development Agriculture and livestock farming often benefits them, since new lands are developed, pastures are created, therefore, in case of drought, the capybaras will have more food and water. Based on this, we can conclude that the number of these animals on undeveloped lands will be less than near pastures. The densest populations of capybaras are 2-3.5 individuals per 1 hectare.

Nowadays, semi-wild capybaras are bred in Venezuela on special farms to obtain meat and skin, as well as fat used in pharmaceuticals. Capybara meat is similar in appearance and taste to pork.

Here is what Gerald Durrell writes about the capybara in his book “Three Tickets”:
“The capybara is a huge rodent, a fat animal with an elongated body, which is covered with shaggy, coarse fur of a brown motley color. The front pair of legs is longer than the back, and there is no tail on the massive rump. Therefore, the animal always looks as if it is about to sit down. The paws are large, the toes are broad and webbed. The claws on the front paws are blunt, short, and very similar to small hooves. The capybara has a rather aristocratic appearance - a wide flat head and a blunt, almost square muzzle give it a patronizing and benevolent appearance, somewhat similar to a brooding lion. On the ground, capybaras move with a shuffling characteristic gait or gallop in a waddle, and in the water they dive and swim with amazing dexterity and agility.
Capybaras are phlegmatic, good-natured vegetarians, lacking the bright personality that is inherent in some of their relatives. But this disadvantage is more than compensated by his friendly and calm disposition.”

The lifespan of capybaras is 9-10 years, in captivity up to 12 years. These animals are easy to domesticate and tame; you can even teach capybaras various tricks. For local population They are not only a source of meat, but also pets.

This is how capybaras are caught at a Venezuelan capybara farm in El Frio during the dry season. Animals, when they see horsemen, jump strangely and take flight. The cowboys wave their clubs and their wide-brimmed hats and scream shrilly, thereby cutting off the capybaras' path to the water. The animals begin to puff strangely and make hoarse, alarming sounds.

Pregnant females and young animals are the first to succumb to persecution. They fall behind and their pursuers gallop past them. The circle is getting smaller. Some animals manage to slip between the horses. And the rest huddle together and finally stop.

It is difficult to say who was the first to decide to implement a project to breed capybaras on farms. But in our time, there are a lot of them - from large ones, the number of which reaches 30 thousand animals, to small ones, with the number of animals from 600 to 2 thousand.

So why did you decide to start breeding capybaras? Isn't it more profitable to keep sheep or cattle on a farm? It turns out not. The productivity and survival of livestock is reduced due to alternating floods and droughts. During a drought, it happens that there is not enough feed, and then the farmer is forced to purchase it. In addition, after living there for ten years, a rare cow will give birth to more than four calves.

But capybaras are remarkably adapted to such conditions. It turned out that they are ideal for breeding on Venezuelan farms, since they do not have aggression, the process of reproduction and growth is fast, and they are easy to care for. Even adult capybaras are easy to tame; they are obedient and affectionate, friendly with humans and dogs.

A study was conducted on a large farm in Venezuela that found that capybaras are more efficient at converting grass into protein than rabbits or sheep. In addition, they do not compete with cattle on pastures. And the weight of the offspring of these animals exceeds the weight of the offspring of other herbivores by five times.

During the dry season, when capybaras gather near water bodies, farmers count their exact numbers and decide how many animals can be sold (about a third of the herd). By the way, to preserve the population of wild capybaras, no more than 10% of the population can be shot.

Farms where capybaras are bred have become profitable also because their owners always respect certain rules. For example, they will never slaughter an animal that has not reached a weight of 18 kg, a pregnant female or a female with cubs. In addition, they never disturb the natural environment in which wild animals live.

Moderately dried and salted capybara meat can be bought at the city market for the same price as beef. It is said to have a pleasant taste. It is in such great demand that one large El Frio farm can provide them with only one Big City in the country. The area of this farm is about 81 thousand hectares. land. She was one of the first to choose capybara breeding as her specialty.

But until recently, capybaras were under threat of extinction, as they were considered competitors of cattle on pastures and even pests that destroy crops. And, as surprising as it may sound, the capybara saved human interest in them as meat animals.

Nowadays, biologists from Venezuela believe that the production of capybara meat may be even more promising than the procurement of cattle products.

If this is your first time seeing this touching animal, be sure to read about it to get to know it better. The capybara is a much larger copy of the guinea pig, but, unlike the latter, this animal loves to splash and dive in bodies of water.

Description of the appearance of capybaras

Not without reason, the second name of the animal is capybara. This herbivorous animal is the largest rodent. An adult individual takes on the size of a large dog, its body reaches a length of 100×135 cm. The height at the withers is up to 60 cm. The weight of an adult female ranges from 28 to 67 kg, and that of a male from 30 to 63 kg. The largest rodent was recorded at 70 kg.

The animals are squat and have a large build. Outwardly, they look like a giant guinea pig. The head is massive, the eyes and ears are small. The legs are short, the hind legs are longer than the front ones. There are 4 fingers on the front ones, and 3 fingers on the back ones with swimming membranes.

The capybara's fur resembles that of a beaver - it is just as tough. The length of the brown hair is from 3 to 12 cm (they only have this color). The animal's tail is short.

Gerald Durrell (English writer, founder of the Jersey Zoo and Wildlife Conservation Trust), describing this animal, said that it is a good-natured, phlegmatic vegetarian with a calm and friendly disposition.

Habitat of capybaras

Capybaras live in temperate and tropical forests South and Central America, from Uruguay to Panama, in northeastern Argentina. For normal existence, they need to have bodies of water nearby, so capybaras settle along the banks of rivers and ponds. They cannot live away from water; during dry periods they settle in entire colonies on the banks of large rivers and other bodies of water. In search of food and water, capybaras are able to cover considerable distances.

These animals are excellent swimmers; their eyes and nostrils are located in such a way that when they are in water, it does not get into them. If the capybara notices dangerous enemy, she will almost completely disappear into the water, only her nostrils through which she breathes will be visible. This feature and long dental incisors allow these capybaras to escape from some predators. The enemies of these animals are wild dogs, alligators, crocodiles, caimans, anacondas, jaguars, and ocelots. For baby guinea pigs, large animals pose a danger. predator birds, such as vulture-urubu.

Social structure of capybaras

capybaras live large families, containing from 10 to 20 individuals. The group is led by a dominant male. Several large adult females also occupy a dominant position. The group also includes subordinate males and cubs. Some capybaras are forced to live as hermits; the number of these individuals does not exceed 10%. This mainly occurs because the dominant male expels male competitors from the family, so they are forced to live alone.

If the capybara habitat is arid, then capybaras gather in herds, the number of which reaches several hundred individuals. Such a herd occupies an area of up to 10 hectares. Capybaras communicate in an interesting way, you can hear them whistling, making barking, clicking sounds.

Capybaras breed mainly in April - May, but they can mate all year round. The female's pregnancy lasts on average 150 days, as a result of which she gives birth to 2 to 8 cubs. Although they weigh only 1.5 kilograms, they are already quite independent, as they are born with teeth, open eyes and fur. The mother feeds the babies with her milk for 3–4 months. Basically, the female brings one litter per year, but she can become pregnant 2–3 times a year. After 15–18 months, when small capybaras gain a weight of 30–40 kg, they become adults and capable of reproduction.

You can see these animals with your own eyes in some zoos. If you liked this animal so much that you wanted to buy a capybara, evaluate your options.

How much does an animal cost? The price of a capybara in Moscow is about 90-120 thousand rubles (1200-1800 dollars), throughout Russia the price can jump up to 150 thousand rubles. ($2200). As a rule, it is difficult to buy a capybara from hand; you need to place an order in specialized pet stores.

The animal is very friendly, affectionate, has a wonderful character, but it is demanding in terms of conditions of detention. Capybaras need space, so they need to be bred by providing sufficient territory where grass grows and there is a thornless bush. Under it, the capybara will be able to hide from the sun and also gnaw on twigs. She needs this because she needs to grind down her constantly growing teeth.

If there is no bush, then tree branches must be periodically placed in the pen. An essential condition for keeping capybaras is a swimming pool. It should be spacious so that the capybara can swim whenever she wants, dive without limiting her movement. During the cold season, the capybara is kept in a warm, spacious indoors, where there is a heated pool and enough light.

The capybara is unpretentious in food; it eats mainly grass, grain, zucchini, melon, and aquatic plants. If you decide to keep an animal at home, feed it with granules for rodents, which contain the necessary minerals and vitamins, fruits and vegetables, and also hay in the cold season. Give them vitamin C occasionally.

If you do not plan to breed capybaras, when is it better to castrate the male, since, having entered puberty, he may perceive his owners as an object of courtship. In captivity, capybaras live 12 years.

Capybaras are quite smart animals and can be taught some simple tricks. They love to lay their head on their owner's lap to be scratched and petted. Capybaras love to have their bellies stroked; such caress often makes them fall asleep.

Video about capybaras - how to keep them at home and what to feed them:

Other photos:

The largest rodent not only in Southern Hemisphere, but also all over the world.

Taxonomy

Russian name- Capybara, or capybara
Latin name- Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris
English name - Capybara
Class- Mammals (Mammalia)
Squad- Rodents (Rodentia)
Family- Capybaras (Hydrochoeridae)

The capybara is a very peculiar animal; it is the only species in the genus and even in the family.

Status of the species in nature

A common species, not a protected species.

Species and man

Human development of land for agriculture, which usually leads to the extinction of wild animals, has benefited capybaras. Irrigation canals are built to create new pastures and grow crops - this provides the capybaras with food and water during droughts.
Currently, capybaras are bred on special farms in Venezuela for their skin and meat. Their fat is used in pharmaceuticals.
Capybaras are a natural reservoir of Rocky Mountain fever. The disease is transmitted to humans through ticks when capybaras enter grazing areas in populated areas.

The close connection of these animals with water at one time led to the Catholic Church classifying capybaras as fish! As a result of this incident, capybara meat was allowed to be eaten during Lent.

IN Lately Capybaras often become “pets”. They are affectionate, easy to tame and even train. They love to lay their head on their owner’s lap or “ask” for their belly to be stroked. But in order to keep a capybara at home, it requires a lot of space where it could walk and swim; it is cramped in a city apartment.

Distribution and habitats

Capybaras live in temperate and tropical regions of South America east of the Andes. Their distribution is limited temperature conditions and the availability of water. In the mountains they are found up to an altitude of 1300 m above sea level. Capybaras usually live along the banks of a wide variety of bodies of water. Their distribution area includes the Orinoco, Amazon and La Plata river basins.

Appearance

Externally, the capybara resembles a guinea pig, only very large. The body length of these animals is 1 - 1.35 m, height at the withers 40–60 cm, weight 34 - 65 kg. The physique is heavy. The large head ends in a blunt snout, with slit-like nostrils that close when diving. The eyes are small and set back. The ears are small and rounded. The high position of the ears and eyes allows them to be kept above the water when swimming. The limbs are relatively short, there are 4 fingers on the front legs, 3 on the hind legs, the fingers are connected by a swimming membrane and end in short but powerful claws. The body is covered with rather long, sparse and coarse hair, without undercoat. The color is uniform, grayish-brown on the upper side of the body and yellowish-brown below.

This is how Gerald Durrell described the capybara: “This giant rodent is a fat animal with an elongated body covered with hard, shaggy, variegated brown fur. The capybara's front legs are longer than its hind legs, its massive rump has no tail, and therefore it always looks as if it is about to sit down. She has large paws with wide webbed toes, and the claws on her front paws, short and blunt, surprisingly resemble miniature hooves. She has a very aristocratic appearance: her flat, wide head and blunt, almost square muzzle have a benign and patronizing expression, giving her a resemblance to a brooding lion. On land, the capybara moves with a characteristic shuffling gait or waddles at a gallop, but in the water it swims and dives with amazing ease and agility.

The capybara is a phlegmatic, good-natured vegetarian, lacking the bright individual traits inherent in some of its relatives, but this deficiency is compensated by its calm and friendly disposition.”

Lifestyle and social behavior

The life of the capybara is closely connected with water, so its distribution depends on the season: in the rainy season, capybaras follow the water and disperse over a large area, and in the dry season they accumulate near water bodies. They are usually active during the day, but only in places where they are greatly disturbed do capybaras become nocturnal. When danger arises, they hide in the water. They can remain under water for quite a long time, and in order to breathe, they stick the tip of their muzzle with nostrils out of the water.

Capybaras are social animals. They usually live in groups of 10–20 individuals. The group consists of a dominant male, several females with cubs and subordinate males who stay on the periphery of the group. During the dry season, when animals congregate around remaining water bodies, group size can increase to several hundred individuals. A small percentage of animals, usually adult males, live alone.

A group of capybaras can occupy an area of up to 10 hectares, but they spend most of their time in an area of less than 1 hectare. Animals mark the boundaries of their territory with scent marks. Males leave scent marks on vegetation to attract females.
Sometimes conflicts arise between the owners of the site and the aliens.

Nutrition and feeding behavior

Capybaras are excellent swimmers and divers. They feed on tubers and green parts of aquatic and semi-aquatic plants. In some areas, capybaras are considered pests, as they can visit fields with grain crops and sugar plantations, where, of course, they will not miss the opportunity to eat. They feast on melons- melons and zucchini, but the main food for capybaras is aquatic plants.

Vocalization

They may make clicking and barking sounds.

Reproduction and raising of offspring

Capybaras breed all year round. Mating occurs in water. For the birth of cubs, the female does not build any shelter. Usually there are from 2 to 8 cubs in a litter, more often 4 - 6. Babies are born well-formed, covered with hair, with open eyes and erupted teeth. Newborns weigh up to 1.5 kg. Very soon they begin to follow their mother and eat grass, but until 4 months the female continues to feed them milk. All females in the group care for the babies. The young reach sexual maturity at 18 months, weighing 30–40 kg.

Lifespan

In captivity, capybaras can live up to 12 years. wildlife life expectancy is shorter.

Animal in the Moscow Zoo

We have a pair of capybaras.
The male was born at the Moscow Zoo in 2012. The female came from Riga in 2013. At first the animals were kept separately from each other, but now they live together. In 2017, they had a baby. In the summer they can be seen walking in the enclosure " South America"along with a llama, vicuna and guanaco. The animals get along well with each other, do not quarrel and sometimes even eat together from the same feeder.

This enclosure has a large moat filled with water; this structure replaces the bars in modern zoos. And at the same time there is a spacious pool where animals can swim. Capybaras do this with pleasure. They swim and run smoothly along the bottom of the pool, like hippos, bringing pleasure not only to themselves, but also to visitors.
In winter, capybaras move to a warm house on the left side of the enclosure.

Capybaras are tropical animals, our long and harsh winter not for them. A pool was built in a warm room for the capybaras, where they can swim in warm water. Iguanas live together with capybaras in a warm winter house - South American large lizards. For them and for the capybaras, a special heating lamp is installed in the enclosure. It replaces solar heat for these animals.

Capybaras are fed various plant foods. They receive vegetables, fruits, grains, fresh herbs, and include vitamins and mineral supplements in their diet so that the animals feel good and do not get sick.