-
Puma
-
The puma is known as a mountain lion in North America. The puma, known as a mountain lion in North America, is found throughout most of South America. It is a large, carnivorous cat which grows to over 5 feet long and weighs up to 136 lbs. It is a stealth and ambush predator which feeds on small to medium-sized mammals such as deer, wild pigs and rodents. A rodent as big as a capybara makes a good meal for a puma.
Jaguar
-
A distant cousin of Africa's lion, the jaguar is the largest predatory cat in the Americas. The cat ranges in small areas of Central and South America. Jaguars grow to 6 feet in length and weigh up to 250 lbs. Just like pumas they are stealth and ambush predators and prey on similar species. Along with capybaras, jaguars also prey on tapirs, turtles and small caimans.
Green Anaconda
-
Green anacondas are big enough to threaten capybaras. The green anaconda is not the longest snake in the world, but, due to a thick body, it is the heaviest. Individuals grow to over 29 feet and weigh up to 550 lbs. The snake lives in the swampy wetlands of South America and comes into close contact with capybaras often. The snakes often strike from the water, biting onto the prey and wrapping the coils of their body around the animal and suffocating it. The snake's powerful muscles squeeze the air out of its prey's lungs. As well as eating capybara, the anacondas eat jaguars, caimans, and wild pigs.
Harpy Eagles
-
The harpy eagle lives in forest regions of South America. It grows to 41 inches long with a 6 1/2 foot wingspan and weighs up to 20 lbs. An adult capybara is too large for a harpy to carry off, but unprotected young are just small enough to fall prey to the bird.
Black Caiman
-
Hiding under water protects the capybara from some predators, but places it in the realm of one major enemy. The black caiman is a member of the alligator family. It grows to 20 feet in length and has a black body. The caiman is found in slow-moving rivers and lakes in South America feeding on fish, birds capybara and any animal that comes down to the water.
Humans
-
In some areas of South America, the human population hunts capybara for its meat or skin. A 2007 New York Times story detailed a hunt in Venezuela where eight men killed 18 capybaras on one trip. While some hunts are legal, poachers have depleted the capybara population in Venezuela so much that the country has had to import capybara meat from other countries.
-
The Enemies of the Capybara
The capybara is the world's largest living rodent species. Capybaras live in large family groups of up to 20 individuals near the waterways of South America. They are adept swimmers and can spend up to five minutes under water to avoid danger. The animal grows to 51 inches in length and weighs up to 154 lbs., making it a tempting food source for many of South America's top predators.