Capybara & friend

We saw lots and lots of Capybara in the Pantanal (no Jaguars though - sigh) and sometimes with birds hitching a ride (I am pretty sure that the bird is a Cattle Tyrant (Machetornis rixosa).

comments (2)

Jivko Nakev

Lion

I am quite curious do they have some symbiotic relationship? Posted 8 years ago

Barry

Lion

That is an excellent question and I haven't read anything to suggest that it has been studied. However, although I at first thought that the birds just liked the perch and it didn't bother the Capybaras, I have since thought about it and I think that indeed it may be symbiotic. The birds get easy access to all of the insects stirred up by the movements and foraging of the rodents (which is why Cattle Egrets often perch on and around cattle or large herbivores in Africa). The Capybara gets an early warning system for predators since birds generally have excellent eyesight whereas mammals usually don't (apes excepted). Capbaras have very good hearing and small. In the Pantanal, I saw large groups just sit unconcerned while we floated by in a canoe but all jump into the water when someone coughed or spoke. Posted 8 years ago

The Capybara

The capybara is the largest extant rodent in the world. Its closest relatives are agouti, chinchillas, coyphillas, and guinea pigs. Native to South America, the capybara inhabits savannas and dense forests and lives near bodies of water. It is a highly social species and can be found in groups as large as 100 individuals, but usually lives in groups of 10 - 20 individuals. The capybara is not a threatened species, though it is hunted for its meat and skin.

Info 31 1

Similar species: Rodents

Species identified by Barry