It comes out on to dry land to rest and bask in the sun but at the first hint of danger the whole troop dashes into the water. Its worst enemies are the Puma and the Jaguar. Capybaras inhabiting the colder regions of South America have a long shaggy coat, but the typical form has the short, pale and rather coarse hair that can be seen in the above photograph. The face is very deep, the ears and tail are small and the feet are slightly webbed. There is a large bump in the middle of the top of the nose, which appears to be a scent gland of some kind.
Capybaras adapt easily to life in captivity and become remarkably friendly.
They are rather vocal for rodents, often giving vent to a series of strange clicks, squeaks and grunts. It is important that they should be provided with a pool, as they appear to have a strong resistance to defecating or mating on dry land. The gestation period is approximately 4 months and maximum longevity about 1O years. Please note that some of these zoos do have web pages that I haven't had time to add links for. If you have additional sightings or corrections, send them to this address and we'll add them to the list.