If you want to have a capybara or capybara as a pet it is essential that your home has a garden in which you can install a swimming pool plastic of a certain size. If you observe the morphology of the animal you will understand that it is a clearly aquatic species: eyes and ears on the top of its head and membranes between the toes of its legs. If you want your capybara to be happy and he althy, you must provide it with a suitable habitat. Keep reading this article on our site and discover the basic care to have a capybara as a pet
Characteristics of capybaras
The capybaras are animals from South and Central America. They are the largest existing rodents and are divided into two species: Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris isthmius, which is the smallest of the two species, and Hydrochoreus hydrochaeris hydrochaeris, which is larger. Capybaras can weigh up to 65 kg the largest females. Males weigh 10-15 kg less.
Feeding the capybaras
Capybaras feed on herbs, lacustrine algae and occasionally - just like guinea pigs - on their own droppings to make better use of their food. The final feces are oval in shape and dry. In captivity they eat watermelon, corn, lettuce, and a wide range of fruits and vegetables.
Capybaras do not produce by themselves the vitamin C, which is why supplements must be administered in captivity in order to avoid scurvy, or provide them with a diet rich in this vitamin.
The capybara as a pet
The capybara can be tamed. It is a clean and affable animal if a series of very important rules are followed. First of all, it must be taken into account that capybaras live in packs. Only some males lead a solitary life.
Therefore, if you only wish to adopt a single specimen, it is preferable that it be a male. If you can enjoy several: male and female, or female and female can be a good combination.
In any of the cases the males must be sterilized, to prevent them from becoming aggressive when they reach adulthood. Males are territorial. Sterilization should be done between 6 and 9 months.
Advice and care for capybaras as pets
The acquisition of capybaras as pets should only be done in pet stores with guarantees. Avoid buying them online and without guarantees; you can get unpleasant surprises for animals that are expensive to acquire, given their exotic nature.
Capybaras are animals prone to sunstroke, as their fur is sparse in some areas. Therefore, they wallow in the mud to protect themselves from solar radiation.
The he alth of domestic capybaras
Capybaras kept as pets have a life expectancy twice that of wild ones. In captivity they can live up to 12 years If their habitat is suitable, they are not complicated to care for. However, if you try to keep them in a flat without the possibility of them being able to bathe when they need it, they will easily suffer skin changes that can cause death.
It is essential that a veterinarian check the he alth of your capybara, in the same way that you should do it if your pet were a dog or a cat.
Taming the Capybaras
Capybaras are tamable. They are intelligent animals that can be taught tricks and various attitudes. Ask for food, sit down and show their affection, among many other attitudes.
Precisely capybaras have a wide range of sounds to show their satisfaction: alert, submission and many more specific sounds.
Conclusions on the suitability of adopting a capybara as a pet
Capybaras can perfectly be pets if their specific needs can be met: a place to shelter, grass and straw, plus a shallow pool for your essential aquatic existence. Food is also a crucial point, but it is not an expensive issue that prevents your company.
