Capybaras are moderately referred to as giant guinea pigs and rodents; however, unlike their smaller cousins, they aren’t any to care for.
Capybaras can be found in homes as pets, commonly in groups, but are not legal to own everywhere.
Capybaras are smart, friendly animals that are comparatively amazing pets that have some specific requirements.
Breed Overview
- Common name: Capybara
- Scientific name: Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris
- Life expectancy: Can live up to 8 to 10 years in captivity
- Adult size: The capybara’s body is nearly 2 feet tall and can weigh up to 170 pounds.
- Difficulty of care: Intermediate. Capybaras are highly social animals, and it is extremely necessary that they are kept in pairs. Plenty of space and access to a large body of water is also required.
Behavior and Temperament
The capybara is native to Brazil, Panama, and other areas in Southern and Central America. They are found in large groups in the wild. Capybaras are found in rivers or standing waters to meet the need to stay hydrated because of their dry skin.
Capybaras prefer areas with enough grasses to consume and use to avoid predators. Let’s not forget that they are impeccable swimmers. They easily navigate their way through waters with their webbed feet. They can hold their breath underwater for about 300 seconds.
As stated earlier, capybaras should be kept in pairs. Their level of intelligence is badly kept alone. Male capybaras may get problematic if housed together (even when neutered). A fight may likely break out if you are more than one male attempting to stay together. It’s worse if their enclosure is not big enough.
Glands responsible for scent in male capybaras are apparent. They are located at the top of their snouts, and capybaras use this to mark their territories. Female capybaras also possess these glands but aren’t as developed as their opposite sex’s. Both male and female capybaras use their anal glands to mark.
Capybaras sometimes cover themselves in mud to help monitor their body temperature. This is most useful since they do not have many sweat glands. Covering themselves with mud helps protect them from sunburn.
Capybaras that are hand-rated are typically tame but don’t expect the same calm temperament if you are getting an adult capybara. Plenty of patience is needed before it would warm up to you.
Capybaras are known to be very shy and very nervous animals that are highly vocal with each other. You can lessen tension when you groom a capybara.
Offering your capybara food and taking the time to comb them can not only help your pet relax but also help you relieve stress.
Housing
Since we know that capybaras don’t do well alone, owners would have to ensure plenty of space for the capybaras to explore.
A pool of water that allows for wading of over 3 feet and swimming should always be provided. Shaded areas should also be included in the structure of the enclosure.
These rodents are prone to sunburn, so shade must be provided. A bowl of fresh guinea pig pellets and piles of hay should also be accessible to them all the time.
It’s also essential to have an enclosure that would give the capybaras access to exercise and move around out of water in addition to a pool.
You could recreate natural grazing by spreading out hay in the enclosure. You should also provide items that would be safe for your pets to chew on. You have options like large dog toys that can be played with, floats, and untreated wood.
A fencing area that’s as large as 12 feet by 20 feet by 20 feet per pair. Ensure the fence outside is at least 4 feet high and is secure enough to hold your pet in.
These rodents are diurnal. This means they need access to direct sunlight. However, if your capybaras get too cold, you may have to provide a UVB light.
This light would be on for about 12 hours daily to mimic sunlight. Heat light is also another option if your pet’s enclosure gets cold.
Capybaras are somewhat resilient, so unless the weather gets extremely hot or falls below 45 degrees Fahrenheit, they should be able to survive outdoors.
Food and Water
In the wild, capybaras only consume about three to six plant species. High-quality grass hay should be the most common ingredient in your pet’s diet.
Timothy hay and orchard hay are available from pet and big animal feed stores in unmeasurable piles.
The hay will provide the nutrients that a large rodent requires and help keep the mammal’s teeth at an acceptable length.
Like other rodents, capybaras’ teeth grow continuously throughout their lives. If they aren’t allowed to chew on things hard enough to file their teeth down, they’d have to be manually attended to by an exotic vet.
Additionally, capybaras need to be fed guinea pig pellets with vitamins. Like humans and guinea pigs, capybaras don’t naturally produce sufficient vitamin C. So pellets with vitamin C are a necessary part of their diet to help minimize the chances of your capybaras getting scurvy.
Outdoor grazing may be allowed if you are sure your capybaras won’t be exposed to fertilizers, toxic weeds, or insecticides trapped by grasses.
Offering vegetables as treats are occasionally welcomed, but be sure not to include fruits and sweet vegetables in what you’re feeding them. This is because capybaras can quickly become addicted to this natural source of sugar.
Observing their fecal matter, you may tell if something is off with your giant rodents’ diet. If their droppings don’t come in olive shapes, they probably need less sugar, moisture, and roughage.
Common Health Complications
Capybaras in the wild have shorter lifespans, especially since many predators find them tasty. In captivity, they’re comparatively hardy apart from their vitamin C deficiency.
Like most rodents, capybaras quickly contract respiratory infections and infestations with lice or mites present in their fur. Often, the majority of its health complications center around unhealthy living conditions. This is why it’s best to ensure that their enclosure is hygienic, as it helps to minimize exposure to harmful substances.
If your capybara appears uninterested in food or stops eating altogether, this is probably a sign of digestive issues. Be sure you easily have access to a vet with experience with rodents like capybaras before adopting them as pets.
Purchasing a capybara
Ordinarily, a person should be able to get a capybara from a reputable breeder; nevertheless, be sure to check if it’s legal to own a rodent of that breed. Some places restrict owning a rodent of that size as a pet.
Don’t make the mistake of trying to domesticate a wild capybara gotten from the wild. You are likely to cause undue stress, shortening the animal’s lifespan. Also, capybaras obtained from the wild may be carrying some unnoticeable diseases.
Be ready to adopt multiple capybara since they don’t live well alone. At least two capybaras should be paired to allow for socializing, similar to their natural habitat. Make sure you pick a very healthy capybara before taking it home. You might want to watch out for the very active and alert ones.
They take their time to warm up to people -especially those they aren’t used to. Also, their fur should be soft and free of bald patches or redness. Capybaras may suffer from mites and parasites if they are experiencing any of these symptoms.
Vocalizations
Similar to guinea pigs, capybaras are highly social and interact with each other using a variety of actions and sounds. Whistles, grunts, purrs, barks, coughs, squeals, and more can be heard for many reasons.
They can become very stressed when raised alone and unable to communicate with another capybara.
Mimicking sounds can help them, but the surest way to guarantee your rodent’s happiness is to have at least one buddy to groom, talk, and swim with.
