How big is a capybara?

Capybaras are the largest living rodents, measuring about 106 to 134 cm in body length and typically weighing 35 to 66 kg, with the heaviest wild female on record reaching 91 kg.

Why do capybaras like water so much?

They are semiaquatic animals that rest in water during the heat of the day, can hold their breath for more than five minutes to escape predators, and rely on wetland habitats for food and safety.

Are capybaras endangered?

No. The IUCN classifies capybaras as Least Concern, and their population remains stable across most of their South American range, though they are hunted in some areas for meat and pelts.

Capybara Facility and Individual Records

Species Data

Classification: Rodentia / Caviidae Source
Size: Body length about 106–134 cm
Weight: Males about 35–64 kg, females about 37–66 kg (the largest recorded wild female weighed 91 kg)
Lifespan: In the wild, predation keeps lifespan under 4 years in many cases, but captive animals live to around 12 years (some sources put the wild average at 5–10 years)
Diet: Herbivore Herbivorous, feeding mainly on grasses in and around water; in captivity it is given hay, cabbage, apples, sweet potatoes, carrots, mulberry leaves, and similar foods
Activity: Semiaquatic; rests in the water during the day and feeds from late afternoon into the evening and night
Distribution: The capybara is native to nearly every South American country except Chile, inhabiting savannas, wetlands, and gallery forests near freshwater throughout the Amazon basin and beyond. Source
Sources: ja.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org

Did You Know?

In 1982, staff at Japan's Izu Shaboten Zoo observed a capybara relaxing in a hot spring, an incident that gave rise to the now-famous Japanese tradition of capybara hot-spring exhibits. Source
Within a group, females that are not the mother will sometimes nurse another female's young, reflecting the species' cooperative social structure. Source
Capybaras can hold their breath underwater for more than five minutes to evade predators. Source

Where to See This Species

Operating facilities registered on this site: Japan 33

Capybaraカピバラ

Species Data

Did You Know?

Where to See This Species

Shizuoka Municipal Nihondaira ZooShizuokaOpened in 1969

Ishikawa DoubutsuenIshikawaAbout 60 minutes from the Kanazawa-Morimoto Interchange on the Hokuriku Expressway, about 40 minutes from the Kanazawa-Nishi Interchange, and about 20 minutes from the Komatsu Interchange.

Yokohama Shiritsu Kanazawa DoubutsuenKanagawaOpened in 1982

Saitamakenkodomodoubutsu Shizen KouenSaitamaOpened in 1980

Saitamakenoomiya Kouen Shou DoubutsuenSaitama10 minutes on foot from Omiya-Koen Station on the Tobu Urban Park Line.

Ichikawashi DoushokubutsuenChibaAddress: 284-1 Omachi, Ichikawa, Chiba.

Shuunanshitokuyama DoubutsuenYamaguchiOpened in 1960

Nagasaki Bio ParkNagasakiOpened in 1980

TOBU ZOOSaitamaFrom Tobu-Dobutsu-Koen Station (west exit), about 10 minutes on foot (600 m) or about 5 minutes by bus.

NasudoubutsuoukokuTochigiAbout 50 minutes by car from Nasu-Shiobara Station on the Tohoku Shinkansen (a free shuttle bus is available; online reservation required by 17:00 the day before).

Himeji Shiritsu DoubutsuenHyogoOpened in 1951

Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical GardensAichiOpened in 1937

Adventure WorldWakayamaOpened in 1978

Gokatsuraike Animal ParkMieAbout 10 minutes from the Seiwa-Taki Interchange.

Tokushima ZooTokushima

Asahiyama ZooHokkaidoOpened in 1967

Izu Shaboten ZooShizuokaOpened in 1959

Utsunomiya DoubutsuenTochigiAbout 5 minutes from the Utsunomiya IC on the Tohoku Expressway; free parking for 1,000 cars.

Osaka Aquarium KaiyukanOsakaOpened in 1990

Gamagoorishitakeshima SuizokukanAichiOpened in 1956

Kiryuugaoka DoubutsuenGunmaIf driving, set your car navigation to "Kiryugaoka Amusement Park" (Kiryugaoka Yuenchi) rather than "Kiryugaoka Zoo" to reach the parking lot (searching by the zoo name may give an incorrect route).

Katsurahama AquariumKochiOpened in 1931

Hiroshima City Asa Zoological ParkHiroshimaFrom JR Hiroshima Station, take the Sanyo Main Line or Kabe Line to Shin-Hakushima Station, transfer to the Astram Line to Kamiyasu Station, then take a bus to "Asa Dobutsu Koen" (about 45 minutes in total).

TAKAOKA KOJYO ZOOToyamaOpened in 1951

Noichi Zoological Park of Kochi PrefectureKochiA 20-minute walk or 13-minute rental-bicycle ride from Noichi Station on the Tosa Kuroshio Railway Gomen-Nahari Line.

Hirakawa ZooKagoshimaAbout a 20-minute walk from Goino Station on the JR Ibusuki-Makurazaki Line, or take a bus bound for Taniyama / Dobutsuen from Fukuhira Nokyo-mae to the last stop.

Suzaka ZooNaganoFrom the Suzaka-Nagano-Higashi IC on the Joshin-etsu Expressway, take Route 403, turn right at the Kotaka-machi intersection, turn left at the Kami-Hatcho intersection, cross Garyu Bridge, and turn left for the south entrance.

Chiba Zoological ParkChibaOpened in 1985

Toba AquariumMieOpened in 1955

Nasu SafariParkTochigiAbout 15 minutes from the Nasu IC or about 25 minutes from the Kuroiso-Itamuro IC on the Tohoku Expressway.

Iida Shiritsu DoubutsuenNaganoAddress: 33 Ogimachi, Iida, Nagano.

Hamamatsu Zoological GardensShizuokaOpened in 1950

Fuji Safari ParkShizuokaOpened in 1980

Former facilities

North Safari SapporoHokkaidoOpened in 2005

Keikyuuaburatsubomarin ParkKanagawaOpened in 1968

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