Diego Valera

Mr. Skipper

Encounters 8
3 March 2023

Balanced Duality

Introduction

Many animals are classified as invasive. Capybaras just happens to be one of those animals. Many think of capybaras as cute, friendly, and maybe even pets. However, others do not think this way. Capybaras have been associated with ruined farmlands, as well as many negative effects on invaded environments. Based on large amounts of research done on the animals, it seems that capybaras are a recurring menace to swamp environments alike. The capybaras’ duality is ever-changing, due to the thoughts of people surrounding it. Its two behaviors are balanced, yet unbalanced at times. People will keep having their opinions on invasive species such as the capybara, and determine the fate of their lives. Farmers could only hope that capybaras don’t become an economic plague. Capybaras may be as harmful as invasive creatures or plants like wild boars and kudzu, and continue destroying food chains and even whole ecosystems at their pace. 

Taxonomy and Description

Despite their many flaws, capybaras are quite interesting creatures that are playful and relaxed. The capybara is an invasive species that like to live in watery environments like swamps, ponds, and other environments similar to these. It is known for its immense size, belonging to the order Rodentia, being the largest living rodent in the world. Apart from being a rodent, it is also part of the class Mammalia and part of the family Caviidae. Its coat is dark or light brown, depending on different capybaras. Additionally, capybaras’ pupils tend to look like they are larger than their eyes, but in reality, they are normal-sized. Aside from being the biggest rodents in the world as of now, capybaras have a strong emotional connection to humans. Most people find capybaras cute, and take in capybaras as pets. Capybaras are very relaxed and love to cuddle with people as well as liking getting scratched. Other features of capybaras include “ a large, bare hump atop their snout which contains rather enormous sebaceous glands” (Capybara). Capybaras have many preferences as to what they eat. It can vary from fruits of the habitats they live in, to crops in the mainlands, showing how destructive capybaras can be. Capybaras are also “strong swimmers, helped by the fact that their bodies are only slightly denser than the water” (Frens). Moreover, capybaras are not invasive species in places like the Florida swamps, they are also slightly endangered. Capybaras are hunted for their meat and leather, which are said to be very high-quality (Frens). Furthermore, capybaras are not only invasive but are endangered as well. Some people wish to preserve these creatures due to their kind nature, even though they may harm the economy of humans. 

Introduction to Non-Native Habitat

The capybara is native to the marshy areas of South America but was introduced to the United States “in the 90s” (Capybaras - Giant Rodents…). They have continued to expand in population and take over the United States slowly but surely, and remain no threat to humans. However, positive feedback about this newly introduced animal does not rival what damage it does to the environment and the surrounding area. It is capable of doing horrible damage to crops, “They're known to eat corn and sugarcane in Brazil. That could cause significant economic damage for the state” (Capybaras - Giant Rodents…). Later on in the future, Capybaras were brought to a research facility in Florida, where they were studied for potential threats and were not guilty of such, but soon would turn into a disaster. In the ’90s, the year that capybaras were brought to the United States, they escaped that research facility and “were first accidentally introduced to forests in Northern Florida” (Tan). Aside from invading Florida, “One specimen has also been documented in Mississippi” (Capybara). The capybara’s invasion shows that these creatures are indeed capable of catastrophic damage to all habitats they might choose to inhabit. The takeover of the capybara across the marshy areas of the U.S. is a thing that many farmers and ranchers wish to ignore, even if they cannot. It is no secret that capybaras can destroy the farming industry within marshy areas and possibly ruin a part of the economy there as well. Capybaras’ sudden change of heart in their preferred habitat begs the question of why they moved. It could be that they were driven out of their natural habitat, but that is least likely for the capybara. Scientists keep longing for an answer to how to stop the sudden takeover of capybaras across the U.S. They attempt to “remove large males or breeding females” or “fence in the park so they simply can't escape and control their spread that way” (Tan). Capybaras were not meant to exist in the areas where they may now be located, and are a current danger to crops and the economy. Unfortunately, capybaras’ invasion is mysterious, and there seems to be no probable cause as to why they decided to spread out across the U.S.

Adverse Effects

Capybaras have many effects around the globe. One of the major negative effects it has on the world is the ecological effects it makes on its invaded habitats. Capybaras are the cause of many negative effects on South America's environment at a rapid rate. An article shows that “Capybaras are expanding into areas of deforestation throughout South America… study is the first to report capybara populations invading historically arid regions and finds that the presence of invasive capybara can hinder habitat restoration” (Deforestation sparks giant…). Capybaras are truly a menace when it comes to an ecosystem. Due to the effects it poses on other creatures, it is not tolerable in certain ecosystems. Capybaras also have a huge impact on ecosystems, as previously stated. Capybaras are known for overgrazing. For example, in South America, capybaras “have a dramatic effect on the vegetation in an area” (Frens). Capybaras are most commonly known to be a danger to ecosystems in a habitat. Not only are capybaras affecting the vegetation and natural flow of life, but they also affect the economy. Capybaras are known for their destructive nature. They can affect vegetation, food supply, and even some animals’ habitats. Capybaras are not mindful of their surroundings and are reckless with their actions, and their behavior is doing no good to the environment. Aside from being a threat to vegetation and the environment, capybaras are also a disturbance to the economy surrounding them. Capybaras have been spotted damaging the economy due to capybaras “[raiding] gardens or farms in search of food, such as melons, squashes, or grains” (Frens). This could hurt the economy revolving around crops and livestock as well. Farmers’ livestock could go hungry due to a lack of food due to the capybara raids. Not only do capybaras pose a threat to the economy, but have “also been hypothesized that they are carriers of certain livestock diseases” (Frens). Overall, capybaras have shown to be a recurring danger to ecosystems, environments, and economies alike. 

Conclusion

Capybaras have had many adverse effects on many ecosystems and environments. No good effects could outweigh the large damage it has done to many settings, including South America’s. Many people may have grown to love capybaras as pets or companions, but the truth about capybaras is not far behind their positive feedback. However, people have taken a stand against the overpopulation of capybaras. Many people have argued over the fact that capybaras need to be eradicated in major areas, such as the U.S. and other swampy environments it may have invaded. The capybara is a nuisance to most places encountering this creature, and it will continue to be hated because of its largely negative impact on the economy and wildlife, not to mention whole ecosystems. Capybaras are just one of the many animals that cause harm to the world, and many people such as farmers, livestock owners, and even scientists agree that capybaras are too harmful to live anywhere they choose to, “the ‘most extreme solution’ would be to kill some of them.” Overall, capybaras are not good for the environments and ecosystems they invade, and should be stopped in some way. Capybaras’ duality is shifting to the negative side rather than the positive because they will keep affecting ecosystems at an alarming rate, and need to be dealt with, whether it be killing some of them, or eradicating them as a whole.

Works Cited 

“Capybara.” SeaWorld, seaworld.org/animals/facts/mammals/capybara/.

Erickson-Davis, Morgan. “Deforestation sparks giant rodent invasions.” Mongabay - 

News and Inspiration from Nature’s Frontline, 15 December 2010, 

https://news.mongabay.com/2010/12/deforestation-sparks-giant-rodent-

invasions/.

Frens, Kathryn. "Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris.”Animal Diversity Web, 

          animaldiversity.org/accounts/Hydrochoerus_hydrochaeris

Tan, Avianne. “Capybaras - Giant Rodents Native to South America Could Become Invasive Species in Florida.” abcNEWS, abcnews.go.com/US/capybaras-giant-rodents-native-south-america-invasive-species/story?id=41617281.