Capybara, also known as the capybara, stands out in the animal world for its calm appearance and lovable indifference. No matter how chaotic the surroundings or what events happen, the capybara maintains a ridiculously calm demeanor.
Known as the “nice guy” of animals, capybaras not only rarely provoke other animals, but also have the ability to live in harmony with many different species. They can live together with birds, monkeys, turtles, and even crocodiles without conflict. Because of this harmony and gentle nature, capybaras are called “living sofas” and “nature’s couch,” a title that is well-deserved for this animal in the wild.
In fact, crocodiles are the natural enemies of capybaras and may attack them when hungry. However, the surprising harmony between the two species is largely due not to the capybara’s docile nature, but to the special value of its dung. Crocodiles are willing to change from enemy to bodyguard just to get close to capybara dung, a favorite food of theirs.
So, what kind of animal is a capybara and why is its dung so valuable? The capybara is the world’s largest rodent, living mainly in the Amazon basin in South America. An adult capybara can grow up to 150 cm long, 64 cm high at the shoulder and weigh more than 60 kg. They live in family groups, have a round body, with eyes, nose and ears located on the top of the head, creating a shape that resembles a miniature version of a hippopotamus.
Capybaras are semi-aquatic animals, often hiding underwater and are very good swimmers, able to hide in aquatic plants without moving. Their diet mainly consists of grass, aquatic plants, tree bark and fruits. In particular, capybaras have the habit of eating their own feces, which helps them absorb essential nutrients that their main food does not provide enough. After digesting their feces three times, they will move on to other food sources. This special preference not only highlights the pickiness in the capybara’s diet, but also partly explains the special relationship between them and crocodiles.
Why do capybaras eat their own feces?
Capybaras, the world’s largest rodents, are famous for their habit of eating their own feces, a behavior that is related to their diet and digestion. The digestive tract of capybaras is shorter than that of cattle and sheep, so they cannot absorb all the nutrients from their food the first time. When undigested food leaves the body in the form of feces, it still contains a large amount of protein and other nutrients. To optimize nutrient absorption, capybaras have developed the habit of eating their own feces. They will eat the first defecated feces to recapture the unabsorbed nutrients, then excrete them. This strategy not only helps capybaras maintain their intestinal flora, but also improves their ability to digest plant fiber. Each meal of a capybara typically goes through three cycles: digestion, defecation, and fecal ingestion, allowing them to maximize nutrient absorption and survive better in their limited food supply habitat.
Why do crocodiles like capybara poop?
Capybaras, with their excellent swimming ability and fast running speed on land, often avoid the attention of predators such as crocodiles and jaguars by spending most of their time underwater. They can dive and move underwater for up to five minutes at a time, effectively evading predators. Interestingly, however, in areas where crocodiles are found, these predators do not attack capybaras as often as they would normally.
The main reason is that capybara droppings are a valuable source of protein for crocodiles. Capybara droppings contain high levels of protein, which is of great value in the crocodile’s diet, and collecting droppings is much easier than hunting. Therefore, some crocodiles have chosen to live peacefully with capybaras to access this protein source, rather than risk hunting capybaras. This coexistence allows crocodiles to take advantage of the nutrition from capybara droppings, while minimizing the risk of predation.
In fact, crocodiles not only regularly eat capybaras, but they are also one of their biggest natural enemies. But crocodiles, which are always cold-blooded, are smarter than we think. They know very well what is more beneficial to them.
So you can see the harmonious coexistence of crocodiles and capybaras. In the Amazon River in South America, not only crocodiles know this benefit, many animals are willing to stay next to capybaras waiting for a “delicious meal”.
