In the wild, capybaras live a fast-paced life that requires them to eat large amounts of food every few hours to meet their high energy demands. As a result, they spend most of their time hunting and eating. Their constantly growing teeth help with this almost never-ending chewing motion. By constantly replacing worn out teeth, the capybara’s top teeth grow at a steady pace, taking on a new growth spur every few months. Once an adult capybara grows into its permanent set of adult teeth, it will continue to grow these top canines for the remainder of its life.
In captivity, however, not only does the capybara have to eat less often than in the wild but also has access to more durable foods and chewier treats than its natural diet would allow for. Since their teeth don’t have as much time to continually grow and replace as they need to in nature (so as not lose too many teeth), captive capybaras usually grow at a slower pace than their wild counterparts do.
Why Are Capybaras Teeth So Long?
Capybaras’ short snouts are a necessary adaptation to their lifestyles. By having shorter snouts, they have less surface area that would need to be covered by teeth. This means they can eat larger amounts at a time and also has the benefit of giving them more jaw strength.
Additionally, their teeth grow in a horizontal motion, which allows them to chew on both sides of their mouth simultaneously. With this design, the capybara is able to keep its upper and lower teeth constantly growing at an even pace, making it easier for them to chew on harder food like hay and tree bark as well as softer foods like roots and tubers.
Why Are Capybaras Always Chewing?
Capybaras are constantly chewing to keep their teeth healthy and strong.
In captivity, it may be difficult for capybaras to chew as frequently as they would in the wild because of more durable and softer foods available to them. So, the capybara’s constant need to chew is no longer a necessity, but rather a habit which can sometimes lead to health issues like tooth decay.
Oral diseases are especially dangerous for capybaras because they don’t have any defenses against bacteria or viruses in their mouths. It’s not uncommon for a capybara with an oral disease such as gingivitis or periodontitis to die from complications like pneumonia or septicemia.
How Strong Is a Capybara Bite?
The power of a capybara bite is legendary, but it’s not quite as strong as many people might think. Capybaras have a very high biting force, which means that their teeth are strong enough to break off small pieces of bone when they bite down. However, the capybara’s teeth are not able to exert this same amount of pressure on all areas of the skull. In particular, the brain and eyes are incredibly hard for the capybara to pierce with its powerful canines.
