Zoo database

Capybara

Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris

Natural diet Capybara

Grasses
Herbs
Leaves

The capybara is classified as a herbivorous grazer. However, in captivity they are often fed as browsers since they select protein rich components (e.g. aquatic plants and crops). They also consume their own feces (coprophagy), which essentially allows them to digest their feed twice.

Feeding advice Capybara

Feed quantity per day

2% of body weight

Sample percentage calculation

If an animal weighs 50 kg and eats 2% of its body weight, it will get

50 x 0.02 = 1 kg feed in total per day

Feed composition

10% Concentrates
10% Leafy and cabbage vegetables
30% Grass, lucerne and other roughages
50% Browse

Proportions (fresh product)

0.1 x 1 kg = 100 g concentrates
0.1 x 1 kg = 100 g leafy and cabbage vegetables
0.3 x 1 kg = 300 g grass, lucerne and other roughages
0.5 x 1 kg = 500 g browse

Diet suggestions

In moderation

Leafy vegetables

Not recommended

Fruits

Additional advice

Divide the “Feed quantity per day” over at least two feeding moments per day.
Supply with sufficient vitamin C by feeding adequate concentrates.
Supplement the diet with ad libitum browse and/or hay (read more about browsers and grazers).
The browse used in the diet can be a mixture between dried and fresh browse.
Feeding fruits might lead to abnormal fermentation in the hindgut because of high sugar levels (read more about nutritional values of (wild) fruits and vegetables).
Stimulate foraging behaviour by hiding, stacking or hanging the feed (read more about feed enrichment and foraging behaviour).

Common diseases

An unbalanced diet may result in one of these more commonly occurring diseases/conditions:

Dental caries
Obesity
Scurvy (vitamin C deficiency)
Malocclusion (teeth overgrowth)
Colitis
Cecities (inflammation)
Type II diabetes

Feed quantity per day

Sample percentage calculation

Feed composition

Proportions (fresh product)

Hazelnut leaves - 10-20 kg bag

Raspberry leaves - 10-20 kg bag

Guinea pig pellets with vitamin C

Martijn den Blijker

Director Kiezebrink Rodents