Capybara Lifespan: How Long Do Capybaras Live?
You can keep these larger rodents as your pets- but they will not be the best pets of your life! But by keeping them in captivity with good food, treatment, and care, you can surely elongate their lifespan. Oh well, is that possible?
Yes, in the case of the animals, mostly, you can keep them alive longer in captivity than in the wild. Here, we will put the light on how long do capybaras live and what factors have effects on the lifespan of a capybara!
The Lifespan of a Capybara
Capybaras, a part of the rodent family, are the largest species of their family. Yes, they are big, round, and soft! Don’t you want to know how big is a capybara! Learn about it more!
Unfortunately, as large as they are, we expect them to live a longer life. But unfortunately, their lifespan is not so long. However, it isn’t too short either. Here, we will discuss how long a capybara lives.
While discussing this, we must keep in mind that the lifespan and the entire lifecycle depend on so many aspects. Firstly, it depends on the environment. The lifespan of a wild capybara will be different than the ones that are held captive. Also, some geographic and climate factors have effects on capybaras.
Let’s check out the lifespan depending on several circumstances!
Wild Capybara’s Lifespan
In the wild, capybaras live just like the other wild animals. They live in groups of at least 20 members of their species. And along with them, other animals also live with them. Check out more about it here- where do capybaras live!
In the midst of the wild, they are more close to nature. But also, it’s a fact that nature also consists of predators. In the wild, the treats are more than in captivity. Their breeding season is in April and May.
And the gestation period is of 5 months. After they are born, they grow up in the wild and travel with their group too. However, Eagles, Jaguars, Pumas, Caimans, Caimans, Snakes, etc. are the predators of the capybara.
These threats have a severe effect on the lifespan of a capybara. And this is why; they only live about 8 years to 10 years if they are kept in the wild.
Captive Capybara’s Lifespan
In the wild, capybaras live a life of 8 years to 10 years- we have mentioned it before. But what about the captive situation! And how long do capybaras live in captivity? Do they live more or do they die soon?
The Protection
Well, in the captive areas, the capybaras are safer than the wild. Here, there are human-created fences with all the protection the animal needs.
In the human territory, the predators of the capybara don’t even get in. As a result, capybaras stay protected when they are captive from the threats they face in the wild. Eventually, they end up having a longer life.
The Diet
Along with this, another reason for a long lifespan in captivity is the diet. When a capybara is kept in the wild, they eat whatever they feel is necessary for them to be satisfied. Mostly, they depend on vegetation and aquatic plants.
However, when they are kept captive, their food habit is more carefully maintained. They are provided good food with better nutrition. Also, their resting area is made comfortable.
The Treatment
When the capybaras feel sick or the owners see parasites on their bodies, they immediately take action. It is not possible in the wild. And chances of capybaras dying in the wild of diseases and other parasites are a common scenario.
They do not get proper medicine and treatment that they can enjoy in captivity. So, they live a longer life in your house or the zoo! So, how long do capybaras live as pets in your house? In the captive, as pets, capybaras can live 11 years to 12 years.
In a few cases, your capybara can live longer than this if they are happy and satisfied with the housing, food, and comfort zone. But how old is the oldest capybara in captivity? Well, according to a study, a captive specimen lived for about 15.1 years and that is counted as the oldest capybara in captivity by far.
Lesser Capybara’s Lifespan
Through the discussion above, we can easily understand the average lifespan of the capybaras both in the wild and in captivity. So, do capybaras do well in captivity than in the wild?
Yes, they live better when you keep them as pets. But another type of capybara, the Lesser capybara has a different lifespan. These are the smaller capybaras- of course; they are called ‘lesser’ for a reason!
They can live 7 years to 8 years in the wild. However, if they are kept in captivity, they can live a little longer than this. But this amount is not much.
Wrap Up
We have described the lifespan of a capybara depending on where they live. However, keep in mind that this is the average duration of their lives. They can live a little longer or less depending on the circumstances. Also, so many other factors affect their lifecycle.
