Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris

(Linnaeus, 1766)

Greater Capybara

Taxonomy

Subclass : Theria
Infraclass : Placentalia
Magnorder : Boreoeutheria
Superorder : Euarchontoglires
Order : Rodentia
Suborder : Hystricomorpha
Infraorder : Hystricognathi
Superfamily : Cavioidea
Family : Caviidae
Subfamily : Hydrochoerinae
Genus : Hydrochoerus

Species status

Living
Found in the wild
Listed in MSW3 2005

Authority citation

Linnaeus, C. 1766. Systema Naturæ per Regna Tria Naturæ, Secundum Classes, Ordines, Genera, Species, cum Characteribus, Differentiis, Synonymis, Locis. Tomus I. Editio Duodecima, Reformata. Laurentii Salvii, Stockholm, 532 pp.

Authority publication link

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/42946299

Original name as described

Sus Hydrochaeris

Other common names

Capybara · Carpincho

Type material

UFPB 10

Type kind

neotype

Type locality

"Surinamo." Restricted by A. Feijó and A. Langguth in 2013 to "Rio São Francisco, 2 km sudoeste da cidade de Penedo, estado de Sergipe, Brasil" by selection of neotype.

Biogeographic realm

Neotropic

Country distribution

Colombia · Venezuela · Guyana · Suriname · French Guiana · Brazil · Ecuador · Peru · Bolivia · Paraguay · Uruguay · Argentina

Taxonomy notes

may include H. isthmius, but the species is tentatively retained here

Taxonomy notes citation

Byrne, M.S., Ruiz-García, M. and Túnez, J.I. 2021. Phylogeography of the capybara, Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris, in a large portion of its distribution area in South America. Journal of Mammalian Evolution 29(1):191-206.

IUCN Red List status

Least Concern

Species Permalink

https://www.mammaldiversity.org/taxon/1001209

Country distribution map

The map below provides a general overview. Most species inhabit only specific regions within countries. Hover over the highlighted regions to see the country name.

Names and synonyms

Present and past (if available) associated names to the species. Click on a name to view its details. If the list is long, scroll down to see more.

Hydrochoerus capybara var. Dabbenei

Rovereto, 1914

Family

Caviidae

Root name

dabbenei

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

MACN (number not known)

Type kind

holotype

Authority page

144

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/14606394

Authority publication

Anales del Museo Nacional de Historia Natural de Buenos Aires

Hydrochoerus uruguayensis

C. Ameghino & Rovereto in Rovereto, 1914

Family

Caviidae

Root name

uruguayensis

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

MACN-Ma 244

Type kind

holotype

Authority page

144

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/14606394

Authority publication

Anales del Museo Nacional de Historia Natural de Buenos Aires

Name usages

Woods & Kilpatrick (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8545)

Sus Hydrochaeris

(Linnaeus, 1766)

Family

Caviidae

Root name

hydrochaeris

Validity status

species

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

UFPB 10

Type kind

neotype

Authority page

103

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/42946299

Authority publication

Stockholm

Hydrochaerus Capybara

Erxleben, 1777

Family

Caviidae

Root name

capybara

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

nomen_novum · preoccupied

Type

UFPB 10

Type kind

neotype

Authority page

193

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/15872990

Authority publication

Leipzig

Name usages

  1. Erxleben (1777:193, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/15872990) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/36060)
  2. Fischer (1814:xx, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/29130081) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/12226)

Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris notialis

Hollister, 1914

Family

Caviidae

Root name

notialis

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

USNM:MAMM:154186

Type kind

holotype

Type specimen URI

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/342a4123c-bdd7-48ff-8e1a-06233f86219c

Authority page

58

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/55444989

Authority publication

Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington

Name usages

Yepes (1935:244) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67335)

Hydrochaerus Cobaya

G. Fischer, 1814

Family

Caviidae

Root name

cobaya

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

xx

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/29130081

Authority publication

Moscow

Name usages

Fischer (1814:xx, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/29130081) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/12226)

Cavia capibara

(G. Cuvier, 1816)

Family

Caviidae

Root name

capibara

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

incorrectsubsequentspelling

Authority page

213

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/1844723

Authority publication

Paris

Name usages

Cuvier (1816:213, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/1844723) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/39676)

Hydrochoerus capybara

Lesson, 1827

Family

Caviidae

Root name

capybara

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

302

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/54207769

Authority publication

Paris

Name usages

  1. Lesson (1827:302, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/54207769) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/36839)
  2. Lesson (1842:104) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/36812)
  3. Lahille (1899:193, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/35147059) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/37834)

Hydrochoerus Cabiai

C. H. Smith, 1842

Family

Caviidae

Root name

cabiai

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

310

Authority publication

Edinburgh

Name usages

Smith (1842:310) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67141)

Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris

J. Yepes, 1935

Family

Caviidae

Root name

hydrochaeris

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

244

Authority publication

Revista del Instituto de Bacteriología

Name usages

  1. Yepes (1935:244) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67335)
  2. Corbet & Hill (1980:190) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/63069)
  3. Wilson, Lacher & Mittermeier (2016:436) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/59599)
  4. Mammal Diversity Database (2018:ID #10300) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67336)
  5. Mammal Diversity Database (2019:ID #10300) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67337)
  6. Mammal Diversity Database (2024, https://www.mammaldiversity.org/taxon/1001209) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67250)
  7. International Union for the Conservation of Nature (2024, https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/10300/22190005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67246)

Hydrochaeris hydrochaeris

Honacki, Kinman, & Koeppl, 1982

Family

Caviidae

Root name

hydrochaeris

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

575

Authority publication

Lawrence

Name usages

  1. Honacki, Kinman & Koeppl (1982:575) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/63071)
  2. O'Brien, Menninger & Nash (2006:325) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/7321)

dabbeni

C. A. Woods & C. W. Kilpatrick, 2005

Family

Caviidae

Root name

dabbeni

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

incorrectsubsequentspelling

Authority page

1556

Authority publication

Baltimore

Name usages

Woods & Kilpatrick (2005:1556) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8545)

Hydrochoeris hydrochaeris

C. A. Woods & C. W. Kilpatrick, 2005

Family

Caviidae

Root name

hydrochaeris

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority publication

Baltimore

Name usages

Woods & Kilpatrick (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8545)

notalis

C. A. Woods & C. W. Kilpatrick, 2005

Family

Caviidae

Root name

notalis

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

incorrectsubsequentspelling

Authority page

1556

Authority publication

Baltimore

Name usages

Woods & Kilpatrick (2005:1556) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8545)

Cavia capybara

(Pallas, 1766)

Family

Caviidae

Root name

capybara

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Authority page

31

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/43320990

Authority publication

The Hague

Name usages

  1. Cuvier (1797:133, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/11637215) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/38531)
  2. Woods & Kilpatrick (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8545)

Mus cabiai

(P. L. S. Müller, 1776)

Family

Caviidae

Root name

cabiai

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Authority page

40

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/51217637

Authority publication

Nuremberg

Sus Hydrochoerus

(E. A. W. von Zimmermann, 1777)

Family

Caviidae

Root name

hydrochoerus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

incorrectsubsequentspelling

Authority page

552

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/53966357

Authority publication

Leiden

Cavia cobaya

(de Lacépède, 1799)

Family

Caviidae

Root name

cobaya

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

preoccupied

Authority page

9

Authority publication

Paris

Agouti cobaya

(Daudin, 1802)

Family

Caviidae

Root name

cobaya

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

166

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/42033416

Authority publication

Paris

Name usages

  1. Daudin (1802:166, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/42033416) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/64044)
  2. Woods & Kilpatrick (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8545)

Sus hydrochaerus

(Bewick, 1804)

Family

Caviidae

Root name

hydrochaerus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

incorrectsubsequentspelling

Authority page

381

Authority publication

New York

Cavia cabybara

(Tiedemann, 1808)

Family

Caviidae

Root name

cabybara

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

unjustified_emendation

Authority page

461

Authority publication

Landshut

Sus hydrochoerus copybara

(Tiedemann, 1808)

Family

Caviidae

Root name

copybara

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

incorrectsubsequentspelling

Authority page

461

Authority publication

Landshut

Hydrochoerus capibara

zu Wied-Neuwied, 1826

Family

Caviidae

Root name

capibara

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

incorrectsubsequentspelling

Authority page

475

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/32972523

Authority publication

Weimar

Capibara brasiliensis

(Moussy, 1860)

Family

Caviidae

Root name

brasiliensis

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

nomen_nudum

Authority page

13

Authority publication

Paris

Capiguara americana

(Liais, 1872)

Family

Caviidae

Root name

americanus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

nomen_novum

Authority page

545

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/1169208

Authority publication

Paris

Hydrochoerus capivara

Winge, 1888

Family

Caviidae

Root name

capivara

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

incorrectsubsequentspelling

Authority page

69

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/14663945

Authority publication

E Museo Lundii

Hydrochoerus capybara fossilis

F. Ameghino, 1889

Family

Caviidae

Root name

fossilis

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

nomen_novum

Authority page

254

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/51769773

Authority publication

Actas de la Academia Nacional de Ciencias de la República Argentina

Hydrochoerus irroratus

F. Ameghino, 1889

Family

Caviidae

Root name

irroratus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Authority page

911

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/51770430

Authority publication

Actas de la Academia Nacional de Ciencias de la República Argentina

Name usages

Woods & Kilpatrick (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8545)

Hydrochoerus hydrochoerus

Berg, 1900

Family

Caviidae

Root name

hydrochoerus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination · incorrect_subsequent_spelling

Authority page

221

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/11656199

Authority publication

Comunicaciones del Museo Nacional de Buenos Aires

Hydrochoerus hidrochoerus

Pittier & Tate, 1932

Family

Caviidae

Root name

hidrochoerus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

incorrectsubsequentspelling

Authority page

265

Authority publication

Boletín de la Sociedad Venezolana de Ciencias Naturales

Hydrochoerus cololoi

Berro in J. C. Francis & Mones, 1968

Family

Caviidae

Root name

cololoi

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

nomen_nudum

Authority page

46

Authority publication

Boletín de Laboratoria de Paleontología de Vertebrados

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