Diseases of Capybara

Abstract

Disease control is an important part of wildlife management both in the wild and in captivity (Caughley and Sinclair 1994). Capybaras, Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris, carry a wide range of parasites and other diseases including hemoparasites and gut parasites (Mones and Martinez 1982), but appear to be largely resistant to their effects and show few signs of ill-health (Emilio A. Herrera, personal communication).In this chapter, I describe the diseases that affect capybaras in the wild and in captivity. The information presented here is based on a decade of experience in capybara breeding and husbandry, based initially at the “Módulo Experimental de Cría de Carpinchos,” located in the Experimental Station of the Paraná Delta (Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina), and later on commercial breeding farms, with additional information obtained from the literature.