Like many other rodents, capybaras are vegetarian and their diet consists of plants mostly. They can chew on hard things such as barks too as their jaws are very strong. Their teeth grow continuously, thus they need to keep chewing with it, that is why in the wild they will mainly eat grasses and aquatic plants.
Capybaras’ diet mostly consists of plants, grasses and leaves. They also like fruits and berries. Their diet is generally low in protein and high in fiber.
Capybaras are not picky eaters, but they have been known to be selective about what they will consume. They will often reject food that is too salty or spicy for their taste buds. It’s a good idea to feed your pet capybara a variety of food sources to make sure they get all the nutrients they need.
The Diet of a Capybara: What They Eat and What to Feed Them
The diet of a capybara is not as strict as some other animals. They will eat almost anything and everything including their own poop, but there are a few things that they should avoid.
Capybaras should never be fed chocolate or any kind of sweetener because it can make them sick and lead to their death. They also should not be fed any kind of meat because it can spoil their stomachs and cause them to get sick or die from food poisoning.
Their main food source is grass. In fact, a capybara can consume more than 3 kg of grass a day! During winter when fresh grass is not widely available they may eat hay as well and alfalfa hay is especially beneficial to them due to its higher protein content. Other than grass which will be the bulk of their diet, capybaras can eat some other food types as well, including:
FRUITS: Fruits provide a good source of vitamins and minerals for capybaras. Capybaras mainly eat melons or oranges but great care must be taken with fruits as they must be given only occasionally to capys as they can’t process sugar and fruits will lead to them bloating.
VEGETABLES: Vegetables provide an important source of fiber for capybaras to help them maintain their digestive health. Cabbage, carrots or pumpkin are all good.
BERRIES: Berries provide an excellent source of antioxidants. They also contain vitamin C and vitamin A which helps them. As with fruits, berries should be given in limited quantities only.
What To Never Feed Capybaras
A capybara pet should never be fed sweetened things or artificial flavors. Also, capybaras should never be fed soft foods as that can lead to severe teeth issues that may ultimately lead to the capy’s death. Capybaras need to chew on things but never feed them peanuts or other high fat foods.
Do Capybaras Eat Their Poop?
Yes, in fact capybaras are known to eat their feces and that is a normal behavior for them. They do that especially in the morning and their poop is very high in protein and vitamins. So don’t panic if you see your capy eating their poop, it is perfectly normal for them but don’t try to imitate them!