The flood season has come. The waters flood the grasslands, and giant water lilies begin to flower. Jaguars stalk in the jungles bordering the waters, and hyacinth macaws holler in the humid air. An egret lances its beak down into the river and rises with a flailing fish. Mountains blanketed with the verdure of jungle rise in the distance. This is the Pantanal, the world’s largest wetland.
On the bank of the water stands a herd of six capybaras, the Hydrochoeris hydrochaeris, the water pig. They resemble guinea pigs but are much bigger with firmer barrel-shaped bodies, partially webbed feet, and coarse hair. A bird pecks on one capybara’s body for ticks and leeches.
The herds like to find areas where they have water to cool, forests to rest, and areas to graze. They spent the night in the jungle and swam in the morning. Around noon they disappeared again into the forest, and now, several hours later, they are grazing on the vegetation that they can find. The land will be flooded through the end of April, likely; the floods began in January. May through October is the dry season, when the land will dry and many of the inland seas will shrink into scattered pools, leaving grasslands. That grass is hard for capybaras to digest, so they will eat their fecal matter in the morning to let their stomachs work through it a second time.
Now, capybaras must share the scarce land with one another. Some of them will wander alone, ill or ostracized, but most will stay in herds of five to ten. Some herds become as large as forty. One herd may be a nuclear family with a male, female, and pups; others will be a harem where a single male is treated to multiple females or will be a group of multiple males and multiple females. In some communities, new capybaras come and go. Other herds do not welcome visitors.
Yesterday, the dominant male and a female walked together, the male following closely with his muzzle raised. She ran into the water and he followed, and when he did not approach close enough, she came over and nuzzled him in the side. Eventually, they left the pool and she led, and they rubbed their nasal glands on the same plants and then spent the day wandering together. When she slowed, he put his head on her rear, and when she stopped altogether, he mounted her.
When there are other males and the dominant capybara must show his status, he will walk, trot, or run toward the opponent. Usually the other will flee and that is sufficient, though sometimes the dominant chases and bites the fleeing capybara on the rear. Rarely is there any actual fight. When the dominant male is satisfied that the other has learned its place, the other will be welcomed back in. When a reminder is needed, another chase ensues, or the male will raise his head and expose his teeth at the other.
For now, though, the herd is at peace. They all step into the water and submerge their bodies underneath, cooling but keeping their heads above water to watch for predators. In this group, there is another pup on the way. For today, there is no jaguar or caiman nearby and all is well.
Leave a Reply