A note on the cecotrophy behavior in capybara (Hydrochaeris hydrochaeris)

The capybara is a species that is bred for its meat in Brazil due to its el evated reproductive potential and because, being a herbivore, it does not c ompete directly with humans. Controversies exist regarding cecotrophy behav ior in this animal. Cecotrophy is observed in lagomorphs and certain rodent s and consists of the ingestion of a specific type of excrement produced in the cecum. Six adult capybaras were placed in individual pens and observed for 96 serial hours. During this period a behavioral pattern that we belie ve consisted of cecotrophy was observed 243 times. Animals sat on their hin d limbs, stretched either limb out, bent over driving their heads in the di rection of the anus and licked a pasty material that differed from normal o val-shaped feces. This behavior was observed between 10 h:48 min and 11 h:4 4 min after ingestion of food. When food was supplied at 5:00 p.m., 73% of the cecotrophy acts occurred between 6:00 and 12:00 a.m. while 27% between midnight and 6:00 a.m. The observation of cecotrophy behavior in capybaras is important because it suggests that maintenance expenses with protein sup plements for this specie in captivity can be reduced. (C) 2000 Elsevier Sci ence B.V. All rights reserved.