Social Spacing
Gordon and Lindsay (1990) noted that there exists a certain "resource management" by herbivores. Essentially, since herbivores are dependent on a certain diet, which maximizes the flow of certain essential nutrients and proteins, long-term territoriality is the most likely social spacing system to be favored. With the capybara, however, the territory is "all-purpose" where everything required for survival is defended: nesting, grazing, resting and mating areas. An area ranging, on average, 1 square kilometer is defended by capybaras (Alho et al., 1987). Aggression between males involves combat (Alho et al., 1987). Where territories overlap and the comfort zone is infringed, there is strong fighting between the dominant males of both groups (Alho et al., 1987). Subordinate males and females are excluded from combat (Alho et al., 1987). Territories are outlined by the frequency of scent marking, with markings greatest at the resting site and decreasing in number farther from the central location of the territory (Lord, 1994).
Within groups, aggression is minimal. There is some biting and inflicting of wounds, however, there is intimate touching of snouts; an act done on a hierarchical basis, with dominant males touching the females and the subordinate males touching the sub-adults (Lord, 1994).
There is some debate or confusion if capybaras occupy a home range or a territory. Capybaras obviously occupy a territory because "defense of the resting site makes it by definition, the territory" (Lord, 1994). However, they also occupy some sort of range depending on food availability and water. So it is possible to say that capybaras occupy a classical all-purpose territory with a greater home range.
Generally, members of other social groups respect the territories of others (Lord, 1994).
Predators of the capybara include the spectacled caiman, jaguar, black vulture, crested caracara and the piranha (Lord, 1994).
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