THE ANIMAL FILES

Capybara

Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris

Water, grass and dry resting ground all belong in one home range.

Capybaras combine grazing with frequent use of water. Slightly webbed feet and high-set facial features accompany this semi-aquatic routine, while food choices change with plant availability. A useful habitat contains connected resources for feeding, cooling and resting.[1]

Follow the evidence ↓
Capybara
Image: Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE · Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
Feet
Slightly webbed[1]
Facial position
Eyes, ears and nostrils lie high on the head[1]
Diet
Mainly grasses and other plant foods[1]

A body that often enters water

Capybaras have a barrel-shaped body, blunt muzzle and very small tail. Eyes and ears sit high on the head, and the feet have some webbing. These features accompany swimming and water use, although the animal also rests and feeds on land.[1]

Several habitat pieces in daily use

Group ranges can include permanent water, grazing ground and dry resting areas. Animals may rest on land, enter water during hot periods and graze later. Removing one element changes the arrangement of activities even if another resource, such as grass, remains available.[1]

Selective grazing changes with availability

Capybaras can favour leaves from particular plants rather than eating every neighbouring species. The menu changes between wetter and drier periods as resources differ. Their incisors continue growing against wear, linking repeated grazing with a dental system that must keep functioning over time.[1]

A COMMON MIX-UP

Does spending time in water make a capybara fully aquatic?

No. Dry resting sites and terrestrial grazing are also part of its routine. Semi-aquatic habitat use requires connections between land and water rather than only one of them.[1]

TRY A LITTLE REASONING

Why might a grassy bank alone be an incomplete habitat?

Reveal the explanation

The group also uses water and dry resting places. Food supply does not replace the other functions, so habitat quality depends on how these resources are arranged and accessible together.[1]

Sources & editorial notes

Adapted and translated from the cited Wikipedia revisions, with source-linked reasoning. Image credit and licence are listed separately above.

Adapted and translated from Wikipedia contributors; exact revisions are linked below. CC BY-SA 4.0

  1. Wikipedia contributors — Capybara (fixed revision; adapted and translated)
  2. NCBI Taxonomy — Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris (identity and classification)

Last fact check:

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