Capybara : Biology, Use and Conservation of an Exceptional Neotropical Species

The capybara is the neotropical mammal with the highest potential for production and domestication. Amongst the favorable characteristics for domestication we can list its high prolificacy, rapid growth rate, a herbivorous diet, social behavior and relative tameness. The genus (with only two species) is found from the Panama Canal to the north of Argentina on the east of the Andes. Chile is the only country in South America where the capybara is not found. The species is eaten all over its range, especially by poor, rural and traditional communities engaged in subsistence hunting. On the other hand, in large urban settlements wildlife is consumed by city dwellers as a delicacy. The sustainable management of capybara in the wild has been adopted by some South American countries, while others have encouraged capybara rearing in captivity. Capybaras Are Not Merely Unusual, They Are Extraordinary. It Is Widely Known That They Are The Largest Living Rodent (c. 50kg), But It Is Less Well Known That Their Biology Is Exceptional In Many Other Regards, As Documented In This Book, Capybara: Biology, Use And Conservation Of An Exceptional Neotropical Species. With A Suit Of Adaptations To A Semi-aquatic Lifestyle, And A Remarkable Social System, The Capybara Is The South American Ecological Equivalent Of The Medium-sized Ungulates Of Africa. Their Size, Adaptations And Habitat Make Them Fascinating In Their Own Right, And A Revealing Model For Studies Of The Evolution Of Animal Societies. Furthermore, From Prehistory To The Present Day They Have Been Hunted For Their Meat And Skins, And Nowadays They Are Both Farmed And Harvested, Which Makes Them An Illuminating Case Study For Discussions Of Sustainable Use. This Blend Of Attributes Makes The Capybara A Focus Of Specialist Interest And A Source Of General Principles, And These Two Ends Of The Readership Spectrum Are Both Encompassed By The Extraordinary International Team Of 36 Authors That Have Contributed The 24 Inter-disciplinary Chapters Of This Book. Written In An Accessible Style That Will Satisfy Generalists, Practitioners And Specialists Alike, This Book Represents The Compendious 'one-stop-shop' That Will Be The Benchmark Publication On Capybaras And On Neotropical Wildlife Management For Years To Come. Taxonomy, Natural History And Distribution Of The Capybara / José Roberto Moreira [and Others] -- Paleontology, Evolution And Systematics Of Capybara / María Guimar Vucetich, Cecilia M. Deschamps, And María E. Pérez -- Phylogenetics Of Caviomorph Rodents And Genetic Perspectives On The Evolution Of Sociality And Mating Systems In The Caviidae / Rodney L. Honeycutt -- Foraging Strategies And Feeding Habits Of Capybaras / Guillermo R. Barreto And Rubén D. Quintana -- Capybara Digestive Adaptations / Emilio A. Herrera -- Reproductive Morphology And Physiology Of The Male Capybaras / Tarcízio A.r. Paula And Nicholas J. Walker -- Morphology And Reproductive Physiology Of Female Capybaras / Maria Angélica Miglino [and Others] -- Capybara Demographic Traits / José Roberto Moreira [and Others] -- Diseases Of Capybara / Gerardo Rubén Cueto -- Capybara Scent Glands And Scent-marking Behavior / David W. Macdonald And Emilio A. Herrera --^ Capybara Social Behavior And Use Of Space : Patterns And Processes / Emilio A. Herrera -- Products And Uses Of Capybaras / Max S. Pinheiro And José Roberto Moreira -- Confined And Semi-confined Production Systems For Capybaras / Sérgio L.g. Nogueira-filho, Max S. Pinheiro, And Selene S.c. Nogueira -- Social And Spatial Relationships Of Capybaras In A Semi-confined Production System / Katia Maria P.m.b. Ferraz [and Others] -- Feeds And Nutrition Of Farmed Capybaras / Alcester Mendes And Sérgio L.g. Nogueira-filho -- The Impact Of Management Practices On Female Capybara Reproductive Parameters In Captivity / Sérgio L.g. Nogueira-filho And Selene S.c. Nogueira -- The Sustainable Management Of Capybaras / José Roberto Moreira [and Others] -- Capybaras As A Source Of Protein : Utilization And Management In Venezuela / Emilio A. Herrera And Guillermo R. Barreto --^ Conservation And Use Of The Capybara And The Lesser Capybara In Colombia / Juanita Aldana-domínguez, Maria Isabel Vieira-muñoz, And Patricia Bejarano -- Capybara Production In Brazil : Captive Breeding Or Sustainable Management? / José Roberto Moreira And Max S. Pinheiro -- Use Of Capybaras In Argentina / Rubén D. Quintana And María Luisa Bolkovic -- Counting Capybaras / Luciano M. Verdade, José Roberto Moreira, And Katia Maria P.m.b. Ferraz -- Brazilian Spotted Fever : The Role Of Capybaras / Marcelo B. Labruna -- The Capybara Paradigm : From Sociality To Sustainability / David W. Macdonald [and Others]. José Roberto Moreira [and Others], Editors. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Taxonomy, natural history and distribution of the capybara / José Roberto Moreira ... [et al.] Paleontology, evolution and systematics of capybara / María Guimar Vucetich, Cecilia M. Deschamps, and María E. Pérez Phylogenetics of caviomorph rodents and genetic perspectives on the evolution of sociality and mating systems in the Caviidae / Rodney L. Honeycutt Foraging strategies and feeding habits of capybaras / Guillermo R. Barreto and Rubén D. Quintana Capybara digestive adaptations / Emilio A. Herrera Reproductive morphology and physiology of the male capybaras / Tarcízio A.R. Paula and Nicholas J. Walker Morphology and reproductive physiology of female capybaras / Maria Angélica Miglino ... [et al.] Capybara demographic traits / José Roberto Moreira ... [et al.] Diseases of capybara / Gerardo Rubén Cueto Capybara scent glands and scent-marking behavior / David W. Macdonald and Emilio A. Herrera Capybara social behavior and use of space : patterns and processes / Emilio A. Herrera Products and uses of capybaras / Max S. Pinheiro and José Roberto Moreira Confined and semi-confined production systems for capybaras / Sérgio L.G. Nogueira-Filho, Max S. Pinheiro, and Selene S.C. Nogueira Social and spatial relationships of capybaras in a semi-confined production system / Katia Maria P.M.B. Ferraz ... [et al.] Feeds and nutrition of farmed capybaras / Alcester Mendes and Sérgio L.G. Nogueira-Filho The impact of management practices on female capybara reproductive parameters in captivity / Sérgio L.G. Nogueira-Filho and Selene S.C. Nogueira The sustainable management of capybaras / José Roberto Moreira ... [et al.] Capybaras as a source of protein : utilization and management in Venezuela / Emilio A. Herrera and Guillermo R. Barreto Conservation and use of the capybara and the lesser capybara in Colombia / Juanita Aldana-Domínguez, Maria Isabel Vieira-Muñoz, and Patricia Bejarano Capybara production in Brazil : captive breeding or sustainable management? / José Roberto Moreira and Max S. Pinheiro Use of capybaras in Argentina / Rubén D. Quintana and María Luisa Bolkovic Counting capybaras / Luciano M. Verdade, José Roberto Moreira, and Katia Maria P.M.B. Ferraz Brazilian spotted fever : the role of capybaras / Marcelo B. Labruna The capybara paradigm : from sociality to sustainability / David W. Macdonald ... [et al.]. Front Matter....Pages i-xvii Front Matter....Pages 1-1 Taxonomy, Natural History and Distribution of the Capybara....Pages 3-37 Paleontology, Evolution and Systematics of Capybara....Pages 39-59 Phylogenetics of Caviomorph Rodents and Genetic Perspectives on the Evolution of Sociality and Mating Systems in the Caviidae....Pages 61-81 Foraging Strategies and Feeding Habits of Capybaras....Pages 83-96 Capybara Digestive Adaptations....Pages 97-106 Reproductive Morphology and Physiology of the Male Capybara....Pages 107-129 Morphology and Reproductive Physiology of Female Capybaras....Pages 131-146 Capybara Demographic Traits....Pages 147-167 Diseases of Capybara....Pages 169-184 Capybara Scent Glands and Scent-Marking Behavior....Pages 185-193 Capybara Social Behavior and Use of Space: Patterns and Processes....Pages 195-207 Front Matter....Pages 209-209 Products and Uses of Capybaras....Pages 211-227 Confined and Semi-confined Production Systems for Capybaras....Pages 229-241 Social and Spatial Relationships of Capybaras in a Semi-confined Production System....Pages 243-260 Feeds and Nutrition of Farmed Capybaras....Pages 261-274 The Impact of Management Practices on Female Capybara Reproductive Parameters in Captivity....Pages 275-282 The Sustainable Management of Capybaras....Pages 283-302 Front Matter....Pages 303-303 Capybaras as a Source of Protein: Utilization and Management in Venezuela....Pages 305-319 Conservation and Use of the Capybara and the Lesser Capybara in Colombia....Pages 321-332 Capybara Production in Brazil: Captive Breeding or Sustainable Management?....Pages 333-344 Front Matter....Pages 303-303 Use of Capybaras in Argentina....Pages 345-356 Counting Capybaras....Pages 357-370 Brazilian Spotted Fever: The Role of Capybaras....Pages 371-383 The Capybara Paradigm: From Sociality to Sustainability....Pages 385-408 Back Matter....Pages 409-419