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Capybara
Bernard DUPONT, CC BY-SA 4.0, via iNaturalist

Rodents

Capybara

Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris (Linnaeus, 1766)

LC Least Concern

Names

EnglishCapybara
DutchCapibara
SpanishCarpincho
Chinese水豚
Scientific nameHydrochoerus hydrochaeris (Linnaeus, 1766)
Also recorded asHydrochoeris hydrochaeris

About this species

The capybara ( kap-ih-BAR-uh) or greater capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) is the largest living rodent, 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 freshwater 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 100. It is hunted for its meat and hide and for grease from its thick fatty skin.

Read more on Wikipedia · Text: Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Classification

KingdomAnimalia
PhylumChordata
ClassMammalia
OrderRodentia
FamilyCaviidae
GenusHydrochoerus

In Suriname

48Records in Suriname
13iNaturalist observations
1960First record
2026Latest record

Where it has been recorded

  • Sipaliwini24
  • Brokopondo5
  • Commewijne3

Districts with at least one record that has coordinates. Shaded districts have records.

Records by month

All years combined.

Sources & credits

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Related species in Suriname