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Capybara Facts & Worksheets

Capybara is the world’s largest rodent and can be found in Central and South America.

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The capybara is a mammal native to South America. It is the largest living rodent in the world. Also called chigüire, chigüiro, and carpincho, the capybara is a member of the genus Hydrochoerus, of which the only other extant member is the lesser capybara.

See the fact file below for more information on the capybara or alternatively, you can download our 23-page Capybara worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

  • At about 50 cm (1.5 ft.) tall at the shoulder, 130 cm (4 ft.) in length, and 35-70 kg (75-150 lb), the capybara takes the title of world’s largest rodent.
  • Capybaras are semi-aquatic, spending a lot of time in the water. They inhabit southern Central America and northern South America in both savannas and rainforests near ponds, rivers, or lakes.
  • Capybaras are physically well-adapted to a semi-aquatic lifestyle. Their webbed feet help them maneuver in water and traverse soft, muddy ground. Their facial features are located towards the top of their large heads, allowing them to see and breathe while swimming.

HABITAT

  • Capybaras are known to make homes only in places which are abundant in water. They typically breed in lakes, marshes, rivers, swamps, streams, and ponds.
  • Capybaras are regular grazers and as such they consume grass, vegetation, plants, trees, and water.
  • The largest population of capybaras can be found in three regions: the Taim lowlands in southern Brazil, the Pantanal in western Brazil, and the llanos in Venezuela.

BEHAVIOR

  • Capybaras are highly social animals as they often form small groups which comprise of adult males, females, and young. Each group consists of no more than 6 to 10 individuals.
  • One adult dominant male will lead the group along with two submissive males, followed by four adult females and young. The leader of the group becomes aggressive to show his authority.
  • Capybaras are generally active at night, but they do move around during the day. At noon, they seek shelter in the forest.
  • The social behavior of capybaras is classified into three activities, which include resting, feeding on grasses, and social interactions. When threatened, capybaras stay alert in water while raising its head in a straight posture. They will keep looking in one direction. This gives the predator a clear signal that the capybara sees its movement. However, if the predator continues to approach, the capybara either barks like a dog or it simply runs away.

DIET

  • Capybaras are herbivores, grazing mainly on grasses and aquatic plants, as well as fruit and tree bark. They are very selective feeders 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. Plants that capybaras eat during the summer lose their nutritional value in the winter, so are not consumed at that time.
  • Capybaras are autocoprophagia, 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.

REPRODUCTION

  • Capybaras are known to breed all year round but they mostly depend on the quality of the habitat. Mating typically occurs in April and May.
  • Capybaras seek woodland or shelter, not only to avoid the midday heat, but also for a better birth place.
  • The gestation period lasts 147 days, but it can be lesser or greater depending on the environment. The female gives birth to 1 to 7 live babies. Each baby weighs up to 3 lb (1,400 g). The young capybaras are able to walk and see within a week of their birth. These infants are extremely vocal constantly.

CONSERVATION

  • Capybaras are not on the International Union for Conservation of Nature list and thus are not considered a threatened species. Their population is stable through most of their South American ranges, though in some areas, hunting has reduced their numbers.
  • Capybaras can be found in many areas in zoos and parks, and are sometimes allowed to roam freely and may live for 12 years in captivity. Capybaras are gentle animals and usually allow humans to pet and hand-feed them.

Capybara Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about capybara across 23 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Capybara worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the capybara which is a mammal native to South America. It is the largest living rodent in the world. Also called chigüire, chigüiro, and carpincho, the capybara is a member of the genus Hydrochoerus, of which the only other extant member is the lesser capybara.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Capybara Facts
  • The Largest Rodent
  • Capybara Basic
  • Word Search
  • Find the Capybara
  • Capybara or False
  • Capy-Word
  • My Way Home
  • Habitat Collage
  • Word Creator
  • Capybara Decode

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Link will appear as Capybara Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, June 14, 2019

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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