Capybara

{{Short description|Largest species of rodents}} {{Other uses}} {{Good article}} {{pp|small=yes}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2022}} {{Speciesbox | status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1 | status_ref = <ref name="iucn">{{cite iucn |author=Reid, F. |year=2016 |title=''Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris'' |article-number=e.T10300A22190005 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T10300A22190005.en}}</ref> | image = Capybaracropped.jpg | image_caption = In Encontro das Águas State Park, Brazil | genus = Hydrochoerus | species = hydrochaeris | authority = (Linnaeus, 1766) | range_map = Capybara range.svg | range_map_caption = Native range | synonyms = ''Sus hydrochaeris'' {{small|Linnaeus,&nbsp;1766}} }}

The '''capybara'''{{efn |Other names include '''capivara''' (in Brazil), '''capiguara''' (in Bolivia), '''chigüire''', '''chigüiro''', and '''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 all countries in South America except Chile. It is a semiaquatic herbivore that inhabits savannas and dense forests, living near and in bodies of water and feeding mainly on grasses and aquatic plants.

Together with the lesser capybara, it constitutes the genus ''Hydrochoerus''. Its other close relatives include guinea pigs and rock cavies, and it is more distantly related to the agouti, the chinchilla, and the nutria.

The capybara is a highly social species that usually lives in groups of 10–20 individuals, but can be found in groups as large as one hundred. It is hunted for its meat and hide and 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 {{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 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="Darwin-1839">{{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 rock cavies. The living capybaras and their extinct relatives were previously classified in their own family Hydrochoeridae.<ref name="Mones-1986"/> 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="Deschamps-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="Deschamps-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 referred to four genera and seven species on the basis of differences in molar shape was later 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== [[File:Hydrochoeris hydrochaeris in Brazil in Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 09.jpg|left|thumb|Capybara in Petrópolis, Brazil]] 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="Mones-1986" /> The animal lacks down hair, and its 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>thumb|Skeleton of a capybaraAdult 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="Mones-1986"/><ref name="WAZA"/> 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 webbed feet and vestigial tails.<ref name="Mones-1986"/> 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 2n = 66 and FN = 102, meaning it has 66 chromosomes with a total of 102 arms.<ref name=msw3/><ref name="Mones-1986"/>

==Ecology== thumb|Capybara swimming in Encontro das Águas State Park, Brazil [[File:Yellow-headed caracara (Milvago chimachima) on capybara (Hydrochoeris hydrochaeris).JPG|left|thumb|Yellow-headed caracara 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="Mones-1986"/>

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 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|issue=1 |page=57|bibcode=2020PANSP.167...57B |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=== thumb|Capybaras grazing Capybaras are herbivores, grazing mainly on grasses and aquatic plants,<ref name="Smithsonian"/><ref name="Forero-Montaña-2003"/> 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 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-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"/> [[File:Parque estadual encontro das aguas - Gustavo Gaspari 03, auto white balance i.jpg|left|thumb|A jaguar hunting two juvenile capybaras]] 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 gum disease as a sign of scurvy.<ref name="Cueto-2000"/>

The maximum lifespan of the capybara is 8 to 10 years,<ref name="Burton-2002"/> but in the wild capybaras usually do not live longer than four years because of predation from South American cats such as jaguars, ocelots and cougars and from non-mammalian predators such as eagles, caimans and green anacondas.<ref name="Bristol"/><ref name="SoundsandColours"/>

==Social organization== [[File:Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris 222765566.jpg|thumb|Trio of capybaras in El Palmar National Park, Argentina]] thumb|Male capybara with a visible morrillo on the snout

Capybaras are 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-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-1994"/> when threatened or when females are herding young.<ref name="Murphey-1985"/>

Capybaras have two types of scent glands: a morrillo, located on the snout, and anal glands. 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=== thumb|left|Mother with litter of 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|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-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-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="Paula-1999"/> 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="Mones-1986"/> 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="Mones-1986"/>

===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="Mones-1986"/> They also spend time wallowing in mud.<ref name="enchantedlearning.com"/> They rest around midnight and then continue to graze before dawn.<ref name="Mones-1986" />

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

thumb|Capybaras in captivity, 2009

==Conservation and human interaction== Capybaras are not considered a threatened species;<ref name="iucn" /> 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="Thompson-2008" /> 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" /> [[File:Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris (54906494753).jpg|thumb|Captive capybara at Copenhagen Zoo, Denmark, in 2025]] 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 ticks can be 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="Mones-1986"/> 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 generally forbidden.<ref name="Ellsworth"/><ref name="Romero-2007">{{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 |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>{{New archival link needed|date=April 2026}} There is widespread perception in Venezuela that consumption of capybaras is exclusive to rural people.<ref name="Romero-2007"/>

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 capybara café in 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 == Capybaras have amassed fandoms in Japan and China, particularly among youth. This has been attributed to their perception as role models of emotional well-being and harmoniousness.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |date=14 Sep 2024 |title=How the humble capybara became a spirit animal for Asia's youth |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-09-14/how-capybaras-became-asia-s-spirit-animal/104335784 |work=ABC News (Australia)}}</ref> In Japan, Izu Shaboten Zoo and other zoos provide hot spring baths for capybaras. Video clips of the bathing capybaras have millions of views.<ref name="Murakami-2020">{{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|access-date=23 October 2021}}</ref> These capybaras spawned a series of merchandise such as plush toys, and provided inspiration for the anime character ''Kapibara-san.''<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|first=Isabella|last=Steger|date=19 May 2017|access-date=23 October 2021}}</ref>

Capybaras have become a figure in meme culture in the 2020s.<ref name="Mouriquand-2023">{{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> Common meme formats pair capybaras with the song "After Party" by Don Toliver.<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> A song about capybaras was released and became highly popular on TikTok in 2022.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Capybara Song / Капибара|url=https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/capybara-song-%D0%BA%D0%B0%D0%BF%D0%B8%D0%B1%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B0|website=Know Your Meme|date=2023-03-13|access-date=2025-11-29|language=en}}</ref> Capybaras have gained a reputation as a symbol of calm due to their perceived "unflappability",<ref>{{cite web |title=What has webbed feet, a big snout and is adored on the internet? |url=https://www.economist.com/culture/2025/11/25/what-has-webbed-feet-a-big-snout-and-is-adored-on-the-internet |publisher=The Economist |access-date=14 January 2026}}</ref> and their personalities have been described as "buddha-like".<ref name=":0" />

In August 2021, Argentine and international media reported that capybaras had been disrupting life in 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="Goñi-2021">{{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>

==See also== * ''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|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="Burton-2002">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 }}</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-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 |bibcode=1981JZoo..194..371M }}</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="Paula-1999">{{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="Cueto-2000">{{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="WAZA">[http://www.waza.org/virtualzoo/factsheet.php?id=110-020-001-001&view=Rodents%20and%20Hares&main=virtualzoo World Association of Zoos and Aquariums]. WAZA. Retrieved on 2011-12-07.</ref> <ref name="Mones-1986">{{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 |bibcode=1986MamSp.264....1M |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="Forero-Montaña-2003">{{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="Ellsworth">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="Thompson-2008">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="Deschamps-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> }}

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