Lesser Capybara
Hydrochoerus isthmius
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassMammalia (Mamífers)
- OrderRodentia (Rosegadors)
- FamilyCaviidae (Cavies)
- GenusHydrochoerus (Capybaras)
- SpeciesHydrochoerus isthmius (Lesser Capybara)
The lesser capybara (Hydrochoerus isthmius) is a large semi-aquatic rodent found in South America that has vast similarities with, yet subtle differences from, the slightly larger common capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris), the largest species of rodent in the world. Wikipedia →
20–30% of wildlife watchers report a Lesser Capybara sighting in Soberanía National Park, based on 95 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Soberanía National Park
Central American Agouti
Dasyprocta punctata
Red-tailed Squirrel
Sciurus granatensis
Variegated Squirrel
Sciurus variegatoides
Andean Porcupine
Coendou quichua
Tome's Spiny Rat
Proechimys semispinosus
Spotted Paca
Cuniculus paca
Rufous Tree Rat
Diplomys labilis
Armored Rat
Hoplomys gymnurus
📅 Monthly Probability
🌅 When They're Spotted
Most active at dawn and dusk · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Soberanía National Park | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 2 | Parque Natural Metropolitano | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 3 | Tayrona National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 4 | Chagres National Park | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 5 | Darién National Park | 🇵🇦 Panama |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Lesser Capybara in Soberanía National Park?
About 26% of wildlife watchers report a Lesser Capybara sighting in Soberanía National Park, based on 95 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Lesser Capybara in Soberanía National Park?
December has the highest sighting rate for Lesser Capybara in Soberanía National Park in our monthly data.