A study of capybara behaviour was made on two large ranches in the lla
nos of Venezuela. Animals were marked with numbered, brightly coloured
collars and observations were recorded with a videocamera. Capybaras
were found to regurgitate and re-chew food material at frequent interv
als throughout the day when they were resting, complementing coprophag
y as an aid to digestion. Social organization as reported by others wa
s confirmed, however some exceptional behavioural actions were recorde
d on videotape. Reaction to predators and infant predation is describe
d, as well as vocalizations, grooming, contact between individuals, ma
rking, territory and home range.