Dwindling resources and the social behaviour of Capybaras, (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) (Mammalia)
Macdonald DW.
Capybaras, Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris, were studied in the Venezuelan llanos during the peak of a dry season. As surface water and associated resources dwindled the rodents’group sizes, activity pattern and social behaviour were studied. Capybara group sizes varied from habitat to habitat in a way which seemed explicable by the pattern of the dwindling water supply. Other behaviour described includes communal suckling of young and collaborative defence against predators. Copyright © 1981, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved