Capybara
CapybaraCapybaraCapybaraCapybara

Capybara

Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
80–90% · Very likely
overall probability at Iberá National Park
301 Verified records at Iberá National Park
July Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

The capybara (/kæp.ɪˈbɑːr.ə, -băr′ə/ kap-uh-BAR-uh) or greater capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) is the largest living rodent, native to all countries in South America except Chile. It is a semiaquatic herbivore that inhabits savannas and dense forests, living near and in bodies of freshwater and feeding mainly on grasses and aquatic plants. Together with the lesser capybara, it constitutes the genus Hydrochoerus. Its other close relatives include guinea pigs and rock cavies, and it is more distantly related to the agouti, the chinchilla, and the nutria. The capybara is a highly social species that usually lives in groups of 10–20 individuals, but can be found in groups as large as 100. It is hunted for its meat and hide and for grease from its thick fatty skin. Wikipedia →

80–90% of wildlife watchers report a Capybara sighting in Iberá National Park, based on 301 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Iberá National Park

Brazilian Guinea Pig
LC Endemic

Brazilian Guinea Pig

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Cavia aperea

30–40% · Possible
Plains Viscacha
LC

Plains Viscacha

🌅 Crepuscular Mammal

Lagostomus maximus

30–40% · Possible
black-footed pygmy rice rat
LC

black-footed pygmy rice rat

☀️🌙 Day & Night Mammal

Oligoryzomys nigripes

Insufficient data

📅 Monthly Probability

70–80
Jan
80–90
Feb
70–80
Mar
80–90
Apr
80–90
May
80–90
Jun
80–90
Jul
80–90
Aug
70–80
Sep
80–90
Oct
80–90
Nov
70–80
Dec

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Probability
1 El Palmar National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
80–90%
2 Iberá National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
80–90%
3 Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas 🇧🇷 Brazil
50–60%
4 Tambopata National Reserve 🇵🇪 Peru
40–50%
5 El Impenetrable National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
30–40%
6 Tijuca National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
20–30%
7 Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve 🇪🇨 Ecuador
20–30%
8 Manu National Park 🇵🇪 Peru
20–30%
9 Yasuní National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
20–30%
10 Iguaçu National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
10–20%
11 Amacayacu National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
10–20%
12 Iguazú National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
10–20%
13 Madidi National Park 🇧🇴 Bolivia
10–20%
14 Noel Kempff Mercado National Park 🇧🇴 Bolivia
Insufficient data
15 Serra dos Órgãos National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
Insufficient data
16 Sierra de la Macarena National Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
Insufficient data
17 Emas National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
Insufficient data
18 Serra da Canastra National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
Insufficient data
19 Chingaza National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
Insufficient data
20 Itatiaia National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
Insufficient data
21 Chapada Diamantina National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
Insufficient data
22 Cordillera Azul National Park 🇵🇪 Peru
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Capybara in Iberá National Park?

About 83% of wildlife watchers report a Capybara sighting in Iberá National Park, based on 301 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Capybara in Iberá National Park?

July has the highest sighting rate for Capybara in Iberá National Park in our monthly data.

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