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| SCIENTIFIC
CLASSIFICATION |
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| COMMON
NAME: |
capybara |
| KINGDOM: |
Animalia |
| PHYLUM: |
Chordata |
| CLASS: |
Mammalia |
| ORDER: |
Rodentia |
| FAMILY: |
Hydrochaeridae |
| GENUS
SPECIES: |
Hydrochaeris
hydrochaeris |
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| DESCRIPTION: |
Coat
is long, coarse, and somewhat sparse. Coloration
on dorsal surface is reddish brown to gray, while
the coloration on the ventral surface is a lighter
yellow-brown. Adult males exhibit a large, bare
hump atop their snout which contains rather enormous
sebaceous glands. Limbs are short, while the head
is large and broad. The muzzle is quite pronounced.
Their digits are have short, strong claws and are
partially webbed. Tail is vestigial and is therefore
non-apparent. |
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| SIZE: |
Head
and body length = 100-130 cm (3.3-4.3 ft)
Shoulder height = up to 50 cm (1.6 ft) |
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| WEIGHT: |
27-79
kg (59.5-174.2 lb) |
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| DIET: |
Mainly
grasses, but also including aquatic vegetation,
grains, melons, and squashes |
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| SEXUAL
MATURITY: |
15
months |
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| RANGE: |
Eastern
Panama through northeastern Argentina |
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| HABITAT: |
Densely
vegetated region adjacent to bodies of water |
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| POPULATION: |
GLOBAL |
Unknown;
stable |
| REGIONAL |
Density
in the Pantanal is roughly 7 capybara per each square
kilometer |
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| STATUS: |
IUCN |
Not
listed |
| CITES |
Not
listed |
| USFWS |
Not
listed |
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| 1. |
The
capybara is the world's largest living rodent. |
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| 2. |
Capybaras
are proficient swimmers, swimming with only their
nostrils, eyes, and ears above the surface. They
are also known to swim underwater - sometimes for
considerable distances. |
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| 3. |
Capybaras
are social animals, living in groups of 6-20 and
occasionally congregating in aggregates as large
as 100 individuals. Social groups are controlled
by a dominant male whose social status is vigorously
and aggressively maintained. |
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| While
often hunted for its meat and hide, the capybara
remains widespread and common. Commercial ranches
raising capybara have seen modest interest. Capybara
ranches have the ecological advantage of maintaining
areas while engaging in commercial pursuits. |
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| Nowak,
Ronald M. Walker's Mammals of the World - Volume
I (Sixth Edition) |
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