If I talk about my oldest Capybara, I have had him for the last 9 years, but what is a capybara lifespan exactly?
How long do capybaras live may depend on many factors, also a capybara’s lifespan may be high if kept as a pet while capybaras may not lice much in the wild.
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Capybara Lifespan
Capybara lifespan can be up to 8-10 years depending on whether the capybara is living in the wild or is kept as a pet in captivity.
However, I have seen capybaras that lived 12 years, which is rare. In most of the cases. a capybara lives 8-10 years, or you can say up to 12 years.
Capybara Lifespan in the Wild
In the wild, capybaras may live up to 4-6 years or even less due to predators, habitat, food, disease, social interactions, and climate conditions.
A capybara lifespan may not be much in the wild, as capybaras are calm herbivore animals, that can easily be hunted by their predators.
What Predators Affect the Capybara Lifespan in the Wild
Capybaras live near rivers, lakes, or ponds as they need access to water. Apart from this, they are herbivore animals, which means they also need grassland nearby.
What do you think, what kind of predators can be there? To list a few, the predators that affect the lifespan of a capybara are:
- Anacondas
- Jaguar
- Caimans,
- Eagles
- Vultures
- Puma
- Wild Dogs
- Humans
These are some of the predators that can easily hunt capybaras, which makes the average lifespan of a capybara in the wild up to 4 years.
Capybara Lifespan as a Pet in Captivity
Generally, a Capybara lifespan as a pet can be up to 10 years, some may have a lesser lifespan, maybe up to 8 years whereas some may live up to 12 years, depending on the genetics, diet, and the environment.
As I said, the oldest capybara I have currently, his age is 9 years old, whereas a friend of mine had a capybara who lived up to 12 years, that was fascinating to me as I had never seen a capybara live this long.
I asked my friend what he did to make his capybara live this long, and he said it was genetics, as he did not do anything special, he did exactly what I did, a few things here and there.
The diet, environment, climate, social interaction, and habitat were all the same, so most probably it was genetics only that made the capybara live this long.
Oldest Recorded Age of a Capybara
I have seen capybaras live up to 12 years, but as far as I know, the oldest recorded age of a Capybara is 15 years.
Yes, you read it right, it’s 15 years. Of course, not all capybaras can live this long, the average lifespan of a capybara is a bit less.
But if you care for your capybara by giving him a good diet, habitat, bed, and other facilities, they can easily live up to 10-12 years.
Factors that Affect a Capybara Lifespan
There are several factors that affect the lifespan of a capybara, here are some factors that I think affect the lifespan of a capybara the most:
- Genetics
- Habitat, if the habitat is good, with food, shelter, and a water source, it is good for them
- Diet, capybaras can weigh up to 140 pounds and tend to eat a lot of grass and other vegetables, availability of food helps increase their lifespan
- Vet care, make sure to visit a vet regularly to prevent any disease
- Social Interactions, capybaras are social animals, my capybaras love to play with me and cuddle
These are some of the most important factors that I think will affect the lifespan of a capybara to a great extent.
Capybara Lifespan as Compared to Other Rodent Species
The average lifespan of a Capybara is 8-10, whereas the lifespan of other rodent species as pets is:
| Hamster | 2 Years |
| Fancy Mice | 2-3 Years |
| Chincilla | 10-20 Years |
| Guinea Pigs | 5-7 Years |
| Sugar Glider | 12-15 Years |
| Common Degu | 5-8 Years |
I have mentioned the lifespan of the most common and most popular rodent species that you can keep as pets.
What is the Average Capybara Lifespan
The Average capybara lifespan is 8-10 years.
To Wrap Up
I hope you got your answer to Capybara lifespan. If you care for your capybara properly, it can easily live up to 12 years.
However, how long do capybaras live may depend on many factors, like diet, vet care, social interaction, captivity, etc., but don’t worry you can have your capybara for a long time and enjoy his company.
If you have any other queries, you can ask in the comments below.
