Even When Capybaras Fight They’re Still Completely Adorable

Even the world’s friendliest animal gets a little tetchy sometimes! The adorable capybaras in this short clip may be getting a bit annoyed with each other but they are still so cute. We see them up on their hind legs in a short wrestling match. There is quite a lot of pushing and shoving and mouths are open but there is no real biting or aggression and it is all over pretty quickly really – which is exactly what you’d expect.

The Super Friendly Capybara

What can we say about the gorgeous capybara? They are the good guys of the animal world. Capybaras are super friendly towards other animals and humans – they adopt stray animals and even give piggyback rides to birds and monkeys!

Their life is spent partly on land and partly in water (they have webbed feet) and their habitat is the water-rich areas of Central and South America. Classed as a rodent, they are closely related to chinchillas and guinea pigs who are both obviously popular pets. So, could you keep a capybara as a pet?

In theory, yes, you can. By choosing a capybara as a pet, you will get a very friendly and affectionate companion who will enjoy being petted by you and spending time with you. However, they need particular conditions to live in and you will need to make sure that you can provide that.

Capybara Habitat Requirements

Capybaras are a lot bigger than guinea pigs! They weigh up to around 150 pounds and grow as long as 51 inches so you will need quite a lot of space. You will also need to source a closed-top pen that provides them with shelter and stops them from escaping. However, the most difficult requirement is that they will need plenty of water to swim in. This pond or pool must be accessible to them at all times. In terms of diet, they need a lot of grass – this should make up 80% of their total intake. These guys eat a lot! You will need to supply them with between 6 and 8 pounds of food every day. Their favorite grasses are switchgrass, Bermuda grass and crowngrass. You can buy Orchard or Timothy grass from pet stores and they can also have some commercial rabbit or guinea pig pellets.

Also, capybaras do not like to be alone. Despite the confrontation in this video, they actually get on very well together and like to live in groups. You may notice that they are cautious around you at first, but they will soon grow in confidence and, given time, they will learn to love you as much as you love them.

Next Up…

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The photo featured at the top of this post is © Henner Damke/Shutterstock.com

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