The Surprising Life of a Capybara | Nature Documentary

What is discussed, and when

1. 0:00 – 3:00: Capiara
2. 3:00 – 6:00: Capiara
3. 6:00 – 9:00: Capiara, Live Science
4. 9:00 – 12:00: Capiara

Notable quotes from "The Surprising Life of a Capybara | Nature Documentary"

• Video as we explore the life of this creature, telling the full story of the capiara. Capiaras are giant semi-aquatic rodents, the world's largest rodents, in fact, native to…

  about Capiara · at 0:29

• Capiara babies will nurse from not only their mothers but any female in the herd. According to an article by Live Science, after about a year or two, the capiara pup has…

  about Live Science · at 8:04

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

• Pope Pius VI — Person · 1 mention

Companies & orgs

• Live Science — Company · 1 mention · first at 8:08

Concepts & topics

• Capiara — Concept · 13 mentions · first at 0:33
• Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris — Concept · 1 mention
• Hydrochoerus isthmius — Concept · 1 mention

Full transcript with timestamps

0:05 Throughout much of the land of South America dwells an ancient race of creature very much unlike any other upon this earth. Mankind knows this creature by many names, but chief among them Capibara. Ladies and gentlemen, hello and welcome to Fire of Learning. Join us in this video as we explore the life of this creature, telling the full story of the capiara. Capiaras are giant semi-aquatic rodents, the world's largest rodents, in fact, native to South America. There are two, count them, one, two species of capiara on the planet. the greater capiara, hydrocoaris hydrochyus, whose realm extends throughout much of eastern South America, and the much less common lesser capiara, hydrocoarism whose realm is nestled in the northern edge of South America and Panama. The two species are very similar, and so we won't get caught up in the differences throughout this video. They're distinguished primarily by size. The

1:09 greater capiara weighing on average a little over 100 lb and measuring about 4 feet in length. The lesser capiara being about 3 feet in length and about 60 lbs. Lesser capiaras also typically have darker fur. Capiaras prefer to live in savanas and forested areas near bodies of water. They spend many hours a day in the water, often even sleeping in it. Indeed, being submerged on a regular basis is essential to capiar health. Capiars depend on it to hydrate their skin and regulate their body temperature. Furthermore, they use bodies of water for protection as they are safer from many predators while in it and will therefore instinctively jump into it when they feel threatened.

1:49 Capiaras are able to hold their breath for as long as 5 minutes, allowing them to evade a threat by hiding underwater until it has passed. As a relative safe zone, they also prefer to perform many behaviors such as defecating and urinating almost exclusively in water. The capiara's semi-aquatic nature is reflected in the design of their bodies. The most obvious feature is their partially webbed feet, but the shape of their bodies also helps them to swim. And having their eyes, ears, and nostrils high on their heads allows them to keep alert while mostly submerged.

2:21 Capiaras prefer to live in herds. A herd of capiars is called a herd. Herds consist of about 15 individuals on average, but can grow to as much as 100 during dry seasons when herds converge. This is called a capiaramoot. It is not actually called that but it should be. Capiara herds are territorial and hierarchical led by dominant males. Along with the dominant male, a herd of 15 or so capiars will also include one to two subordinate males with the rest being females and pups. There may also be duos or trios of males, usually younger, who live on the peripheries of herds waiting for the opportunity to establish a position within a herd called satellite males. Capiaras are herbivores. Their diet consists of various plants, both aquatic and terrestrial, namely grasses, as well as fruit and even tree bark. They are very picky eaters with only five species of grass making up 80% of their diet. Going

3:18 out to dinner with them is very difficult. Their affinity for grass actually is the origin of their name from the tupi kapiara meaning grass eater. Like rabbits, beavers, and other rodents, the teeth of capiaras do not stop growing, and so they must be constantly worn down by chewing. Capiaras are kpuscular, meaning they are primarily active at dawn and dusk. During the day, they tend to lounge and sleep in the water while certain members of the herd stand watch. At night, they may sleep, but may also be active especially if they feel threatened throughout the day, in which case they will shift much of their activity to nighttime. Cappy borrowers prefer to stay within the same area which they call home. They are plain, quiet folk who have no use for adventures regarding them as nasty, disturbing uncomfortable things which make you late for dinner. If they do wander too far from home, they are able to use their

4:10 superb sense of smell to find their way back. Part of the Capiar's fame is owed to its mild temperament. Many pictures and videos have circulated the internet portraying them peacefully interacting with a variety of other animals, even crocodiles. Look at this. Riding a crocodile. These sorts of things are not supposed to happen in nature. But consensus among zoologologists is that capiars don't care. They do whatever they want. Not only do they stand on other animals, but they are often content to let other animals stand on them. Sometimes even being referred to as nature's chair. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Very few in all of mankind's history have been able to achieve the inner harmony of a capiara.

5:04 Truth be told, their docile personality has been somewhat exaggerated by the internet. Capiaras can easily become panicked or defensive when spooked. That being said, it isn't a total myth. So why are they like this? One reason is that they have a mutualistic relationship with birds, for example who eat ticks and other parasites from their fur. But beyond this, it may simply be owed to the fact that they are social herbivores, and importantly to their size. Not many creatures in South America are actually able to take down a full grown capiara, though some can.

5:38 Capiars are prey to a few animals in the areas in which they live, namely caymans and big cats like jaguars and pumas. As is partly discussed in an article by National Geographic, the young are much more vulnerable, being threatened by foes such as foxes, dogs, ocelots piranhas, birds of prey, and snakes. A snake, for the record, is a kind of legless reptile. Capiars have also been consumed by humans since human arrival in South America. Mankind also hunts them for the grease from their skin pelts, and because they can be a threat to crops and compete with livestock. As an interesting historical fact, it is famously acceptable for Catholics in certain regions of South America to eat capiars during Lent. The exact history surrounding this decision is murky. It is, often, said, that, in, 1784,, Pope, Pas, I V 6 declared that capiars were fish so that they could be eaten throughout this period when Catholics traditionally

6:35 abstained from the meat of warm-blooded animals. However, we could not find any primary source confirming this. The date may very well be made up. However because of the capiar's importance to local diet, at some point in the 16th to 18th centuries, it was decided that capiars should be classified as seafood not literally fish, so that they could be eaten during Lent. And thus, the church permits it today in regions to which capiaras are native. The average lifespan of a capiara that reaches adulthood is roughly 6 or 7 years.

7:05 However, it is possible for them to live for 12 years or even longer, especially in captivity. Theoretically, this could be significantly extended with biocyibernetic augmentation. Cabiaras breed year round, but tend to breed more during the wet seasons. Cabiar males are genuine heartbreakers and will attempt to have as many girlfriends as possible. Typically, dominant males tend to have the advantage and will drive off a subordinate caught flirting with one of his partners. However, capiara females ultimately choose their partners and so a male must convince her and the dominant male can lose out to a particularly charming subordinate male.

7:44 Females are pregnant for a period of about 4 to 5 months, have about one litter a year, and give birth to a litter of anywhere from 1 to 7, but typically about four pups at a time. While capiaras are polyggonists and mates do not share an especially close bond, the entire herd collectively cares for and defends the young. For example capiara babies will nurse from not only their mothers but any female in the herd. According to an article by Live Science, after about a year or two, the capiara pup has reached adulthood. Males can take as much as twice as long to mature as females. Once adulthood is reached, they will leave their parents and set off to find their own herds. The difference between male and female capiar appearance is not great, but females tend to be slightly larger and males tend to have more pronounced scent glands or moros on their snouts. Capiars will rub these glands against various

8:38 objects to mark their territory. The capabiara genus name hydrocoaris is Greek for water pig. When Europeans first encountered capiars, they had no idea what to make of them and so they called them pigs. But they are again not pigs but rodents. Their closest living relatives are guinea pigs which are also not pigs. The species name hydrochyus is often assumed to mean the same thing but this is not true. It is a slightly different word meaning enjoyer of water. Kabiaras are not threatened and have in fact adapted well to life alongside humans. Because of their docile nature they have even been kept as pets. While this may sound like a dream come true this is not legal everywhere. And even where it is, exotic pet experts caution that one should think very carefully before adopting a capiara. Capiaras strongly prefer to live with other capiaras. Have specific dietary needs must have access to water in which to

9:36 swim for hours daily. And while they may have a docil temperament, they're not instinctively wired to live with humans like dogs and cats are. And so integrating them into your house and lifestyle can be challenging. Now, if you so happen to find one in a trash can covered in peanut butter, you have to do what you have to do. But apart from situations like that, proceed with adoption only if you are a true expert in the species and are prepared to handle all these needs. They may be called coconut dogs, but they really are wildlife. While we mentioned that the capiara home is South America, it seems that their range is expanding. Capiaras kept as pets as well as those in places like wildlife sanctuaries have been known to escape from captivity and take up a life in nearby wilderness. There have been incidents like this in places as desperate as Canada, the UK, and Japan. Though these incidents are rare

10:28 and are typically quickly handled in places like Florida, however, it's a different story. According to an article by Mental Floss, there may currently be a population of around 50 capiaras living in the wild in Florida, primarily in Elatchua County. This population appears to be stable and breeding flourishing, the city upon a hill. The population is reportedly not causing problems currently, but the day may come when Florida man and Capiara must go to war. That would be interesting. Unstoppable force meets immovable object. also the only war in history where both sides use alligator cavalry.

11:05 That being said, the presence of capiars may not actually be harmful in Florida or in certain other regions. In the good old days or the pleaene which ended about 12,000 years ago, there were actually more species of capiara which were spread further across the Americas including pinkney capibara which lived in locations like Florida and South Carolina. Many of these species went extinct towards the end of the pleaene. Some have suggested, and it isn't known for certain, but it may be that modern caviars introduced into these regions would not be invasive, but would refill a vacant ecological role. In other words, in certain regions, it may actually not be ecologically harmful for capiars to pull up. There also used to be giant buffaloized cappy bars called josepho argasia. Imagine that at the afterparty.

12:01 We hope you enjoyed this video. If so we invite you to come check out the rest of fire of learning and to subscribe to see more videos like this in the future. In case YouTube did not notify you, our latest video was an improved remake of our documentary looking at the nature and purpose of dreams. To support the channel further, there is a link to our Patreon in the description. A special thanks to our current supporters listed here. Thank you for watching.

Questions about this episode

What is discussed in "The Surprising Life of a Capybara | Nature Documentary"?

In order: 0:00 Capiara; 3:00 Capiara; 6:00 Capiara, Live Science; 9:00 Capiara.

What is mentioned in this Fire of Learning episode?

5 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including Capiara, Live Science, Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris, Hydrochoerus isthmius, Pope Pius VI. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "The Surprising Life of a Capybara | Nature Documentary"?

The episode runs 12 min; the transcript is about 2,088 words in 16 timestamped sections.

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