A heat lamp may also be placed in their dwelling areas during colder times to keep them warm. Make sure that the enclosure has a sunny place where they may bask, as well as a shaded region to help them protect themselves from heat. These large animals need sufficient space to move about freely.

Therefore, proper fencing in necessary to prevent them from escaping. Proper fencingīeing swift and agile, they run as fast as a horse, being able to conveniently squeeze themselves through small outlets.

The presence of a large pouch called cecum in their intestine helps in churning and storing fibrous matters as well as mixing the enzymes, bacteria and gases to facilitate smooth digestion.Ī big water body, about 3.5 meter in depth should be provided as they are semi-aquatic and love to swim and remain submerged in water for certain parts of the day.

Eating their own droppings help them in digesting the cellulose content of grasses as well as extracting high amount of protein and vitamin from their food.

The eyes, ears and nose located on top of their head allows them to see, hear and breath while the the rest of the body remains under water, allowing them to escape predators.

Being great swimmers and divers, they can easily avoid being preyed on by quickly moving to nearest water bodies.

The young ones are mostly attacked by vultures, foxes, piranhas and feral dogs. Majorly preyed upon by anaconda, its other predators include ocelot, eagle, puma, caiman and jaguar.

The mammals also show regurgitating behavior like cows.

They are categorized as coprophagous as they feed on their own feces. The plants consumed by them in summer are not eaten during winter due to a reduced nutritional value. On sensing danger, the subordinate male members give out a bark just like a dog to warn the clan, causing all members to rush to the nearest water body, keeping the young ones at the center.īeing herbivores, they mainly eat aquatic plants, grasses, reeds, tree bark, grains, corn, green leaves (mainly manioc) as well as fruits like squash, bananas and melon. The males chatter their tooth angrily to reveal their aggressive mood. A feeling of satisfaction is expressed by a low pitched clicking sound, whereas a grunt or purr reveals their submissive mood.

They may bite each other to display their playful as well as aggressive mood.Ĭapybaras emit different sounds to express their changing moods.

Not sleeping much, they doze in the morning, relaxing on the banks or stretching along the muddy wallows during hot afternoons.

Though they are mostly active during early mornings or dusk, they become nocturnal in areas with human habitation.

The dominant male has the benefit of using the safest shelters to escape from predators as well as of mating with females of the group.

The leader, on being challenged by another male of the group, is obliged to enter a fight that continues until one of them escapes the place.

The heaviest male is known to dominate the pack.Male capybaras, being territorial in nature, mark their area with a liquid secreted through their morillo gland.During the drier season larger groups of about 50 or 100 capybaras are seen. These sociable animals mainly live in groups of 10 or 20 or sometimes even in a smaller group where only members of family are present.

Capybara predators