The capybara, recognized globally as the largest living rodent, holds a unique place in biological history. These semi-aquatic mammals are native to South America, inhabiting the riverbanks and wetlands across the continent. The timeline of their “discovery” is not a single, clear event but rather a complex process that unfolded over centuries. This history involves ancient local knowledge, the initial confusion of European explorers, and the later application of formal scientific naming conventions. The question of who truly discovered this creature depends entirely on the perspective of the observer.
Understanding Pre-Columbian Knowledge
Native South American peoples knew the capybara for millennia before any European arrival. Indigenous groups, particularly the Tupi and Guarani, lived alongside and depended on these animals in the vast river systems of regions like the Pantanal and the Amazon basin. For these communities, the capybara was a known quantity, integrated into their sustenance and culture.
The name “capybara” originates from the Tupi language, from the word ka’apiûara. This term is a compound meaning “grass-eater” or “one who eats slender leaves,” perfectly describing the rodent’s herbivorous diet and grazing habits. The existence of a precise, descriptive name indicates a deep, long-standing observational understanding of the species’ biology and behavior. From this local perspective, the animal was never “discovered” in the sense of being newly found, but rather was an integral part of the ecosystem and local life.
The First European Descriptions
The capybara first entered the historical record of the Western world with the arrival of Spanish and Portuguese explorers in the 16th century. These early accounts were often found in travel logs and missionary reports, reflecting the naturalists’ attempts to categorize the unfamiliar New World fauna. Lacking any comparable European animal, these observers frequently misidentified the large rodent based on superficial similarities.
The animal was commonly referred to as a “water pig,” or puerco de agua, due to its size, somewhat blocky shape, and semi-aquatic habits. For instance, the German explorer Hans Staden mentioned the animal in his 1557 writings, and the Portuguese historian Pero de Gândavo described it as a “type of pig” in 1576. These early descriptions served to introduce the creature to Europe, but they were taxonomically inaccurate, placing a rodent alongside swine.
Formal Scientific Classification
The capybara’s formal induction into the global scientific catalog occurred in the 18th century, marking the third phase of its discovery. Carl Linnaeus, the father of modern taxonomy, assigned the species its first binomial name in 1766 in the 12th edition of his seminal work, Systema Naturae. Linnaeus initially classified the capybara as Sus hydrochaeris, retaining the explorer’s misconception by placing it within the genus Sus, which contains pigs.
The species name hydrochaeris was derived from the Greek words hýdor (water) and choíros (pig or hog), cementing the descriptive name given by the early colonists. Although the Sus genus was biologically incorrect, this 1766 classification provided the necessary starting point for all subsequent scientific study under the binomial system. The true rodent identity of the capybara was later recognized, leading to its reclassification into the genus Hydrochoerus.
The genus name Hydrochoerus also translates to “water hog” from Greek, but its establishment separated the species from the actual swine lineage. The species was eventually assigned its modern and correct scientific name, Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris, which still credits Linnaeus’s original species designation. This final classification accurately places the capybara within the family Caviidae, establishing its closer biological relationship to guinea pigs and rock cavies than to any pig species.