Capybaras don’t really ride crocodiles. In the viral photos, the reptile is almost always a caiman, a smaller South American relative of alligators, and the capybara is resting beside or on it because, for an average caiman, an adult capybara is simply too big to be worth attacking. The two species share the same rivers and wetlands, so they end up side by side, especially when water runs low.
It looks like friendship. It’s closer to a truce. Here’s the biology behind it.
They’re caimans, not crocodiles #
Capybaras live in South America, in wetlands like Brazil’s Pantanal and the grassy floodplains of Venezuela and Colombia. The crocodilians most often photographed with them are caimans, members of the alligator family.
The yacare caiman is especially common in the Pantanal, which held an estimated 10 million of them in 2013. Adult males reach about 2 to 3 meters and up to 58 kg; females are much smaller, around 1.4 meters and 14 to 23 kg, according to Wikipedia’s yacare caiman article.
Why caimans usually leave adult capybaras alone #
Size #
An adult capybara typically weighs 35 to 66 kg. That’s heavier than a female yacare caiman and similar to a large male. Tackling an animal that big is risky and tiring for a medium-sized reptile, and it could get hurt.
Diet #
Yacare caimans eat mostly snails and fish, with the occasional snake. They have been known to eat capybaras, but big adults aren’t everyday prey. Young capybaras are a different story, which we’ll come back to.
Energy #
Caimans are cold-blooded. When they bask on a bank, they’re warming up and saving energy, not hunting. A capybara wandering past a sunbathing caiman is often of no interest to it at that moment.
Why capybaras don’t seem to care #
Capybaras are social, calm animals that live in groups of around 10 to 20. They tolerate other species remarkably well: birds perch on them and pick at their fur, and photos show them relaxing next to all kinds of animals. We cover that side of them in do capybaras get along with other animals.
Their calm has a practical side. A capybara that panicked at every reptile in the river would never get to eat or rest, because caimans are everywhere in their habitat. When something truly dangerous appears, a capybara barks an alarm and the group heads for the water.
Why they end up so close together #
The dry season forces everyone together. As wetlands shrink, capybara groups that normally number 10 to 20 can gather in groups of 50 to 100 around the remaining pools, and caimans crowd into the same water. Both animals rely on water to stay cool and escape danger, so there’s little choice but to share.
Put a relaxed capybara next to a sluggish, basking caiman in a crowded pool, and eventually one sits on the other. Someone takes a photo, and the internet calls it “riding a crocodile.”
What the photos don’t show #
The truce has limits. Caimans do take young capybaras, which are much smaller than adults. The San Diego Zoo lists caimans, ocelots, harpy eagles and anacondas as predators of young capybaras, while an adult’s main natural predator is the jaguar. Larger crocodilians, such as the black caiman of the Amazon basin, are a more serious threat to full-grown capybaras.
So the calm in those pictures is real, but it comes from size and circumstance rather than friendship.
Capybaras, rivers and games #
The same wetland life shows up in capybara games in a gentler form. In Capybara Crossing, the river lanes are some of the trickiest parts of a run: logs and lily pads drift, turtles dive under, and you have to hop between them before the current carries you off the edge of the screen. There are no caimans, just an eagle overhead that swoops in if you stand still for eight seconds. If rivers keep ending your runs, our river-crossing tips help.
Real capybaras, meanwhile, are excellent swimmers that can stay underwater for up to five minutes. More on that in can capybaras breathe underwater.
Frequently asked questions #
Do caimans eat capybaras? #
Sometimes. Caimans prey on young capybaras, and yacare caimans have been known to eat capybaras. Healthy adults are usually too large for an average caiman, though bigger species like the black caiman can take them.
Are capybaras friends with crocodiles? #
Not really. They tolerate each other because adult capybaras aren’t easy prey and both animals need the same water. Calling it friendship makes a great caption, but it’s more of a truce.
Why do other animals sit on capybaras? #
Capybaras are calm and rarely aggressive toward other species, and their broad backs make a comfortable perch. Birds also get a meal of insects from their fur, so the arrangement suits both sides.
Where do capybaras and caimans live together? #
Across much of South America’s wetlands, including Brazil’s Pantanal and the floodplains of Venezuela and Colombia. Both depend on rivers, lakes and marshes, so their ranges overlap widely.