September 2010

CARPINCHO O CAPIBARA - (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris)

CARPINCHO

Overview Animal sedentary, reddish-brown fur, which weighs about 50 kg.y is the largest of living rodents. While one of their extinct relatives, the giant Protohydrochoerus had runners habits, capybara current is slow and clumsy on land. Not adequately regulate their body temperature and may undergo a heat shock after running a few hundred meters. It is instead a skilled swimmer (Carpinchos is known to have crossed the great river Orinoco) and usually spend several hours a day on the water, try not to depart as close as it depends not only for bathing and drinking, but as shelter and even courtship and cópula.Un particular sign of adaptation to the aquatic environment it is the fold that closes the ear canal when the animal is submerged. The legs are highly adapted to swimming and to the march. Are very short, especially the earlier (forcing him to walk bent forward) and has at its ends a thick webbing that supports the movement in the water. The high provision of snout poking it easier to swim only the nose, but also is able to remain submerged four minutes or more.

Food

The unique adaptation of the capybara water led him to include fish in their diet. But the capybara is almost exclusively herbivorous. And while it may feed on aquatic plants, riparian grasses prefer selecting the tiny and tender grasses. Usually also gnaw the bark of trees, for which is provided with powerful incisors, as in all rodents, grow continuously several millimeters per week to compensate for the abrasion they are subjected. Coat

This animal continuously renews your hair as it is permanently affected by the remains of clay that remain attached after bathing and frequent contact with the bushes in which he takes refuge. It anyway varies with age, becoming denser and more complete in the juvenile period. In the newborn the hairs covering the back and sides are short and stiff, dark on the ends and a brown belt in the center, while the ventral area are brown. In the adult is composed of long hairs and flattened, brown and red, original hair persists only in the top of the nose and, sometimes, on the forehead. Sometimes the dorsal fur is very thin and reveals the dark brown skin.

its natural setting

Within the vast range of capybara (which includes Panama, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Venezuela, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay) is in Argentina where the best specimens and in large quantities. Whenever it is in near water-vegetation-equipped able to provide food and shelter, as this species does not build shelters or digging tunnels. Customs

Morning rests and does preferably in the shade, lying on his stomach, his head lifted from the ground or resting on the front legs. During the day remains lay among aquatic plants or quietly grazing, the grass of the plains. Viewed from a distance its way and its color makes them appear as wild boar. Great length of his jaw gives them a really funny look if they are seen from the front or in profile. Around noon, when the heat increases, plunges into the water to regulate body temperature and, thus, better combat external parasites ... His everlasting companions!. From mid-afternoon and into the early hours of the night was spent eating, grazing his mouth to the ground. Chew slowly moving her jaws back and forth. In quiet he can be seen active during the day. An animal is crepuscular and nocturnal habits. In areas where it is hunted only at night adventure. Habitat

The capybara can share water with cows and horses without dispensing more attention. Sometimes it is next to alligators, even if they come to attack their offspring, and even allows some birds from landing on him and "register" the fur or used as a lookout to catch insects. Natural Enemies

The main natural enemies are the Puma capybara and dogs. When the capybara is surprised cries out, a sort of low growl like a dog barking hoarse big and runs excitedly, hiding in tall grass or vegetation acuática.Sí sense the presence of man (which in terms of harassment is able to discover remote a mile) escapes sigilosamente.Las females always leak first, along with the young, while male voices throwing monitored alarm or chattering fiercely if cornered dientes.Resisten. It appears that, for this reason, males are more easily captured than females. AQUATIC COURTSHIP

The capybara, whose life cycle reaches about ten years and is ready for procreation between 18 months and two years of life. It is difficult to distinguish the sex, since the external genitalia of males and females are enclosed by the anal fold. But for the seasoned hunting guides, this is not a inconventene. Simply place the animal on its back, close the tip of the knife-edge, avoiding the cut and pressed slightly toward the tail to the cebeza. Immediately see the penis ... if it is a male. NOTE: The male is generally recognized as a bump on the muzzle, remarkably developed in some specimens and very little in others, it is a gland (rubble) that grows from a certain weight of the animal (between 35 and 40 kg.) used for demarcation. According to some authors, the male would be larger than the female. But there was an average weight greater in females than in males. Other signs of differentiation incisors, significantly wider in males than in females, and hair color that covers the buttocks and lower abdomen, always darker in the male. As we know the dependence of the capybara in the aquatic environment includes the time of courtship and copulation. When the male begins to haunt her, smelling and touching her genital area, without altering the pitch and showing ever indifferent to her companion guide to the water, where both bathing. The female diving several times, disappearing from the surface and away from him ... searching again. Finally, and always in shallow water (less than fifty centimeters) - covers the male to the female, often raise your heads, and short tail while barking cries.

NOTABLE: Mating is brief, just a few seconds. Then both swimming and continuously repeated fifteen times, and three in a minute, is not uncommon that several pairs copulate at a time and in the same small pond producing partner exchanges. Occasionally a female may interfere with the ranks of a couple, male or female to dispute the other with the aforementioned purpose.

PREGNANCY AND COEXISTENCE IN THE PACK: After a relatively long gestation (on average varies between 122 and 153 days) the young, who are from one to seven by calving, born in a state of advanced development. After ten days of life are now able to walk following the mother. The female, who has five or six pairs of ventrolateral and slightly protruding nipples, breastfeeding children up to four months. It is always standing with their little lying on each side. There seems to be after training or special care to the children. Once established families are kept together as the youngsters accompany their parents both at rest and during activity. Other family groups consisting of one male and several females, with or without offspring. Gregarious habits, capybara sedentary lives in herds of variable size depending on the season year. Composed of individuals of both sexes and different ages, the flocks are originating from one family and respond to the need imposed by the dependence of the animal to water, fatally, to be shared. Are closed societies with a hierarchical organization well learned and better assimilated by its members. The number of individuals of each flock is variable. In the National Park El Palmar (Entre Rios / Argentina) and in the lagoon "La Brava" (Sita at Km N º 35 National Route No. 226 in the Province of Buenos Aires) have been observed groups of twenty to sixty members. The distance between individuals varies from eighteen inches, when rest-hundred meters while grazing, the latter turns out to be the time recorded their further spread.

KEEPING THE DISTANCE: The movement of the herds are made in India Row. In these cases the continuous trampling a trench is formed by delving comes to act as a channel for drainage. Within the area of \u200b\u200baction of capybara was reached on recognition of three types of places: the rest, one for bathing and a pasture. Animals from a herd tend to overlap their areas, but when individuals of a herd invade another area may cause aggressive encounters between males, females or young. In general antagonistic attitudes have to do with the hierarchical relationships and sexual rivalries momentary. Some couples, for example-who can not tolerate the presence of juveniles in the neighborhood and come to attack them with their powerful incisors. Communication between individuals is established by various signals, shouting, screaming, jumping, bristling hair and so on.

The capybara, capybara, or capybara (Capybara) is a species of rodent in the family Caviidae own South America. Is the current rodent greater size and weight of the world, living in herds on savannas, rivers, marshes and wetlands of South America, especially in river of the Orinoco, Amazon and Paraná. The now defunct Neochoerus sulcidens was significantly larger. They are native to tropical and temperate South America east of the Andes, always near water. Is related to agouti, chinchillas, coypu and guinea pig.

Capybaras have a heavy body in a barrel and a small head with a reddish brown fur on the upper body that turns brown on the bottom yellow. They can grow to 130 feet long and weigh 65 kilograms. Capybaras have slightly webbed feet, almost no tail and have twenty teeth. His hind legs are slightly longer than before, and are blunt snouts, eyes, nostrils and ears on the top of the head. Females are slightly heavier than males.

Its common name comes from the Guarani 'kapiÿva' means' Lord of the grass "while hydrochaeris its scientific name means" water pig "in Greek. Although many of the ways to name this species tend to migrate between regions (and in many cases come from names of indigenous origin), the most common (and which often make frequent use recognizable geographical areas).

The body, which has no tail, [4] is so solid and round with the thick trunk and four short legs. The front legs have four toes, and later have three, set in a radial fashion. The thick fingers like claws have a membrane that bind small toes. Capybaras get a length of 100 to 130 centimeters and a height at the back of 50 to 60 centimeters [5] and females are usually slightly larger than males. The average weight is 50 kilograms in males and 61 females, however, the actual weight may vary between 27 and 65 kilograms.

The coat is long and rough, but in some parts is so thin that you can see skin through it. This causes some animals are prone to sunburn, and to prevent it, wallow in mud to protect your skin from the sun. [9] The color ranges from reddish brown to gray on top, while the bottom has a yellow brown color. Some specimens have black spots on the face, on the outside of the legs and the back, hair length ranges from 30 to 120 mm.
[edit] Head and teeth
The capybara skull bears a remarkable resemblance to that of their relatives caviar, even in the same general proportions.

Capybaras have a remarkably wide and big head. In connection with the closest relatives to the capybara, the muzzle is large and rounded, while the nostrils are small and are quite separate. In male specimens, the tip of the snout is equipped with a bald head and prominence for the scent gland. The ears are small and round, while the eyes are located on the sides and are also small. Like many animals that are partially aquatic lifestyle, eyes, ears and nostrils of the capybara are located on the top of the head. [4] So when they leave the water to breathe or see what around them, barely protruding from the surface.

The dental formula is 1-0-1-3 this animal, which means that each half of the jaw has a front tooth, a premolar and three molars with a total of twenty teeth. [9] The white incisors are equipped with a groove, as in all rodents, are enlarged and transformed into rootless incisors. Behind the incisors there is a space called the diastema. The posterior teeth have no roots and have a complex morphology, consisting of enamel prisms in the form of heart or bars, which are separated by layers of cement. As in other rodents, the incisors and molars of capybaras grow continually to compensate for continuous wear causing eating grass. [3]

Distribution and habitat.

The capybara has a distribution area divided into two parts. Part smaller spans eastern Panama, northern Colombia and northwestern Venezuela. The largest part includes most of South America east of the Andes, and goes from eastern Venezuela and Guyana to Uruguay and northeastern Argentina. [5] Each of the two regions has its corresponding subspecies: isthmius Capybara who is living in the northwest part. Is smaller than hydrochaeris Capybara, who lives in the larger region, east of the Andes.

Capybaras can live in different habitat types, but show preference for specific policy areas. They are usually found near lakes, rivers, marshes or mangroves. [5] They also need firm ground to sleep, ideally with a thick vegetation that serves as protection. To feed they have no problem in going through the savannah and grassland. Most capybara population density is in the vast wetlands of South America, as the Pantanal, or the Plains region of North Africa, bordering the Orinoco. They live mostly in the plains, but also live at altitudes up to 1300 meters above sea level. Compared with other animal species in South America, capybaras fairly well tolerated habitat changes caused by human activity, and can also survive in areas converted to plantations or pasture.

The capybaras are primarily crepuscular animals. They spend the heat of the day in holes in the mud or in water. [5] Sleeping hide in thick vegetation, they do not need any cave. In contrast, in areas disturbed by human activities, change and adopt a nocturnal lifestyle. If a capybara

warns danger, alert the other with a short bark, and immediately all run trot with a speed comparable to that of a horse in order to reach safety in the water. They can dive and stay underwater for up to five minutes, and are able to swim around the submerged body except the ears, nostrils and eyes. Another expert swimmer South America, belonging to another family of rodents, the nutria (Myocastor coypus). Although sometimes hide in thick vegetable plants.

Charles Darwin described the behavior of this kind:
During the day they are stretched between aquatic plants or will calmly to graze the grass of the plains. Viewed from a distance, its path and its color makes them look like pigs, but when they are sitting around watching closely what happens, revert to the appearance of their congeners the cavies and rabbits. Social life

live in groups, which may consist of a couple and their young, or a group large adult. The extent of the groups varies from six to twenty animals. In some rare cases can also be seen solitary specimens, mostly adult males.

The extent of the groups and their way of life depends on season and habitat. During the rainy season, capybaras are spread over a large region, so that reduces the extent of the group. During this season, eat a lot and build up a reserve of fat. The rearing of infants also occurs mainly during the rainy season, during the dry season, many individuals come together around the large rivers and lakes, forming larger groups. During this season, mortality is significantly higher, increasing hunger and disease and the disappearance of plants that serve as protection, capybaras are more vulnerable to attack from predators. Researchers from Venezuela indicate an average of 5.6 groups of animals during the rainy season and 15.9 in March, the driest. In periods of drought, can form large groups of up to one hundred copies, which meet near the water remaining. Although these clusters are unstable and do not last long.

Each mixed group both family and is led by a dominant male, who normally occupies this position for many years. Then there are one or several females with their young and sometimes subordinate males also part of the group. The hierarchy is usually stable and well marked both among males and among females, and is set partly by fighting aggressive.
Front of a capybara.

Each group lives in an area of \u200b\u200b5 to 17 hectares. Although animals tend to stay within a region of about 10 hectares, to defend against incursions by other specimens of the same species. Mark territory by scent glands, in the males are located on the nose, and the two sexes have in the region of the anus (glands anal).

They communicate with them through a variety of vocalizations. Among them is a sound like the purring of cats, which indicates submission, a cry of alarm barking like a dog, a way to click that expresses happiness, shrill whistles and grunts.

Power.

The diet consists mainly of grass land and supplemented from time to time with aquatic plants. Sometimes entering plantations and feed, for example, sugar cane, watermelons and corn. The widespread belief that fish are also part of the diet of the capybaras are false. They have an extremely efficient digestive system that allows them to subsist 75% diet which consists of only four to six species of plants, and then stop eating for a while, allowing individual plants to recover before returning to eat it.

The digestive system of the capybara has several adjustments to your diet, such as a longer and a small blind sac enlarged. Similar to other rodents such as guinea pig or lagomorphs, capybaras practice coprophagia or eating feces occasionally. Cecal feces are a soft and sticky droppings, which are fermented by a special bacteria in the cecum, and are returned to eat immediately after excretion, this Thus, the capybara can extract the maximum nutrients from food rich in cellulose. When the feces are expelled definitely a second time, are oval and dry.

The capybara, like guinea pigs can not produce vitamin C themselves, so you have to get it through their diet. In some specimens in captivity, which had evidently been poorly fed, there has been cases of scurvy.

Reproduction.

The male takes the initiative in copulation, as it is him who pursues the female, first by land and then into the water. The mating takes place in shallow water, then from six eight quick thrusts, sex comes to an end. Intercourse can be repeated after a while, up to twenty times or with the same partner or different partners.

The mating may take place any time of year, but the majority of births are usually in the rainy season (April to May in northern South America and October south of the continent). Generally, each female gives birth once a year, but if weather conditions are favorable can do it twice. The gestation period lasts about 110 days in the northern subspecies and 150 in the south. The capybaras are multiparous, and each part is composed of an average of four pups, but varies enter two eight. Females have ten vine branches which are placed in pairs in the womb.

do not build nests, and can give birth anywhere on its territory. The pups are markedly early, weighing about 1500 g at birth, have a full coat and permanent teeth. Shortly after birth, pups are able to eat grass and become independent after three or four months. The offspring form a separate group within the main group. Both sexes take
sexual maturity at about twenty-two months.

longevity in the wild capybaras varies between eight and ten years, while the copies captivity can reach twelve. Natural enemies

most outstanding natural enemies of the capybara are mostly cats like the jaguar and ocelot, but venaderos dogs and alligators. Sometimes, the babies are victims of birds of prey like the Harpies, or reptiles such as anacondas.

Human Relations

Indigenous South American capybara hunt and consume the meat and skin processing using the incisor teeth for decorative purposes. Capybaras also have a role in the mythology of these peoples. In the traditional beliefs of the Yanomamo, every newborn has a shaped double capybara or tapir gives vital force: if the double animal dies, the person will also die. Hunting and uses

The capybaras are hunted for their fur and meat. In many regions there are professional hunters nombrandos "carpincheros" engaged in commercial hunting are also very many people who hunt them for their own use. The capybara leather, light brown with lighter patches small, is particularly popular in Argentina. In addition to gloves, belts and leather jackets, also made saddles and bridles. In the southern part is serving an oil obtained from the subcutaneous fat of the capybara as a natural remedy. The

capybara meat has a strong odor, is consumed especially in Venezuela, where the dry, put it in pickle and eat fast day. It is widely believed in America that there is an official church document, allowing to classify the capybara as fish, because of their lifestyle, their fish-like smell and little hairy skin, is a legend, and there are similar legends in other religions of the earth on other aquatic animals such as beavers.

In Argentina and Uruguay, the meat is mainly to make sausages. Especially in the Plains region, and because of the multiple uses of this animal, and there are attempts to raise farm capybaras commercial purposes. Pasture owners also sought, especially during the dry season, as they believe that capybaras devastate food for their animals.

There are people who believe it is good capybara hunt for the alleged damage caused to agriculture, especially in plantations, can cause considerable devastation, and in some places are considered a pest. Conservation and threats

Many of the suitable habitat for capybaras are located in areas heavily used for grazing. As humans prepare sources of water for their animals, minimize the number of carnivores through hunting and how cattle keep the grass short in many areas there has been an increase in the population of capybaras. Census cattle estates of the Plains region revealed a density of between fifty and three hundred capybaras per square kilometer.

In regions that are hunted in commercial quantities, as for example in many regions of Venezuela, and are considered rare. In other regions, such as Peru, have disappeared or their number has fallen dramatically. Although in general are abundant and have a wide distribution, so they are not considered a threatened species. However, many people consider it cruel slaughter of the animal, as it does to beatings, shootings or hunting dogs. Systematics and taxonomy

The aperea Cavia, small rodents in South America are closely related to the capybaras.

The capybara is considered the only recent representative of the family (Hydrochoerinae). Although genetic research has shown that rodents of the genus are more closely Kerodon with capybaras than guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus), so that Hydrochoeridae was a paraphyletic group. The modern systematic, as Wilson & Reeder (2005), capybaras classified within the group of cávidos (Caviidae) and the Kerodon grouped within the subfamily of Hydrochoeridae. In rodents, they belong to the superfamily of cavioïdeus, like the agouti (Dasyproctidae), the bales (Cuniculidae) and Pacarán (Dinomyidae).

capybara fossil ancestors are represented by different genera from the Late Miocene. The most primitive forms are classified in the subfamily cardiaterinos that although paraphyletic, the latest group representatives developed from them. We know the subfamily protohidroquerinos Pliocene, with the only genus Chapalmatherium (also known as Protohydrochoerus). The skull of these animals was twice as large as the the current capybara, and its members were also considerably longer. The hidroquerinos subfamily, which belongs to the capybara, appeared in the Pliocene. All the giant rodent fossil from the Americas. Some systematic

, the two subspecies described above, H. h. isthmius and H. h. hydrochaeris are classified as separate species.

As for the correct scientific name of the genre, there is a long dispute between the name Hydrochoerus donated by Brisson in 1762, and the name Hydrochaeris, cradled by Brunnich in 1772. Both names come from the Greek hydros (water) and Choir (pork). The name given by Brisson was rejected for a long time, and that did not conform to the rules of binomial nomenclature. Although the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature declared valid Hydrochoerus name because of its widespread use, so Capybara is the correct scientific name.

Some people have as a pet capybara. Despite its large size and exotic, capybaras can be gentle companions. It is necessary to sterilize the males at the age of six to nine months to avoid becoming aggressive and territorial. Like other rodents, they can be tamed to learn to do certain tricks, like sit or beg for food. The capybaras company are considered warm and clean animals.