How long can a capybara stay underwater

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It helps them to digest food better, but still — yuck! If you can get past the poop-eating thing, capybaras are social and playful animals. They live in groups of 10 to 20 — sometimes as many as a will gather together. When capybaras want to sound an alarm they bark like dogs. Capybara are the favourite food of anacondas, one of the largest types of snakes in the world.

Bizarre-looking as they may be, Capybaras have quickly become the pseudo-stars of the Internet—largely due to the fact that they look like overgrown guinea pigs—but also because of their predisposition to mix comfortably with other animals. Here are 10 facts you may or may not have known about Capybaras:. Belonging to the cavy family Caviidae , their closest relatives are actually guinea pigs and rock cavies.

On a slightly grosser note, these guys eat their own dung to extract maximum nutrition from their food—much like rabbits. Capybaras can always be found living near bodies of water due to their semi-aquatic lifestyle. Along the banks of the Amazon River, these murky waters harbour many threats for a Capybara, but life by the water is still the perfect spot to set up camp—allowing them to retreat quickly and escape from predators like anacondas, wild cats and even eagles.

Webbed feet help them to maneuver in water, and their facial features are located towards the top of their large heads to help them see and breathe while they swim. Pretty neat, huh?! Capybaras can dive and stay underwater for up to 5 minutes at a time—often falling asleep in the water whilst keeping their nose at the edge of the banks. Napping along rivers, mangroves and marshes helps them to stay cool. Capybaras are rather vocal animals. Not only are there harmonic differences among social groups, but each sound a Capybara makes bears a significant meaning.

This is a good way to eat tough plant materials. At the San Diego Zoo, the capys are offered low-starch, high-fiber biscuits, assorted veggies and greens, and Bermuda grass hay. Many helpers. Capybaras usually live in small groups of about 10 individuals, made up of a dominant male, one or more females, one or more subordinate males, and several young. During the wet season, as many as 40 capys may be found together. It is helpful to have many sets of eyes watching out for the youngsters, since they can easily fall victim to caimans, ocelots, harpy eagles, and anacondas.

Adult capybaras have one main natural predator—the jaguar—but humans hunt them as well. Prime habitat. The capybara is not currently classified as endangered, although it is threatened by deforestation, habitat destruction, and illegal poaching. It was in trouble not too long ago, though, due to hunting. Some people in capybara's natural range have used the rodent as a food source for centuries and may sometimes wear capybara teeth as ornaments.

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