The capybara is the world’s largest living rodent, a semi-aquatic mammal known for its calm demeanor and impressive physical presence. It thrives in environments that provide both water and vegetation across its native South America, including countries like Brazil, Argentina, and Venezuela. Understanding the capybara begins with appreciating its sheer scale. This article will detail the physical dimensions of a mature capybara, compare its size to familiar animals, and examine the influences that shape its growth.
Defining the Average Adult Capybara’s Dimensions
A fully grown capybara possesses a robust, barrel-shaped body. The average adult length ranges from 106 to 135 centimeters (approximately 3.5 to 4.4 feet). Its shoulder height usually falls between 50 and 62 centimeters (about 20 to 24 inches) at the withers.
The weight of a mature capybara shows a wider range, reflecting individual health and habitat quality. Adult individuals typically weigh between 35 and 66 kilograms (roughly 77 to 146 pounds). Exceptional specimens have been recorded reaching weights up to 90 kilograms (nearly 200 pounds), demonstrating the upper limit of their growth potential.
Size Comparison to Other Rodents and Mammals
The capybara’s dimensions are best understood when compared to other species, especially its rodent relatives. The North American beaver, the second largest rodent, typically weighs between 35 and 65 pounds and measures about 3 to 4 feet in length, making the capybara significantly heavier and often longer. A common rat or mouse is dwarfed by this comparison, illustrating the massive evolutionary divergence within the rodent order.
For a general audience, the capybara is roughly the size and weight of a medium-to-large dog breed, such as a Golden Retriever or a Labrador. These dogs generally share the capybara’s weight range, providing a relatable metric for understanding the rodent’s bulky frame.
Factors Influencing Capybara Size
Capybara size is influenced by several biological and environmental factors. Sexual variation, or dimorphism, plays a role, with female capybaras often exhibiting slightly greater body mass than males. This difference means that the heaviest recorded individuals are typically females. Individuals continue to gain mass until they reach full maturity, which generally occurs between 18 months and two years of age.
Geographical location and the availability of resources are strong determinants of an individual’s final dimensions. Capybaras living in areas with abundant, high-quality forage, such as grasses and aquatic plants, tend to grow larger and healthier. Animals residing in human-modified landscapes, where they can access nutrient-rich agricultural crops, often display rapid growth and larger overall sizes. The existence of a distinct, smaller species, the lesser capybara (Hydrochoerus isthmius), which is found further north, highlights this geographical size variation within the genus.