Authority citation: Linnaeus, C. 1766. Systema Naturæ per Regna Tria Naturæ, Secundum Classes, Ordines, Genera, Species, cum Characteribus, Differentiis, Synonymis, Locis. Tomus I. Editio Duodecima, Reformata. Laurentii Salvii, Stockholm, 532 pp.
Authority publication link: https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/42946299
Original name as described: Sus Hydrochæris
Nominal names: capybara (Pallas, 1766) | hydrochaeris (Linnaeus, 1766) | cabiai (P. L. S. Müller, 1776) | capybara Erxleben, 1777 [nomen novum | preoccupied] | hydrochoerus (E. A. W. von Zimmermann, 1777) [placed on index | incorrect subsequent spelling] | cobaya (de Lacépède, 1799) [preoccupied] | hydrochaerus (Bewick, 1804) [incorrect subsequent spelling] | cabybara (Tiedemann, 1808) [unjustified emendation] | copybara (Tiedemann, 1808) [incorrect subsequent spelling] | capibara (G. Cuvier, 1816) [incorrect subsequent spelling] | capypara Goldfuss, 1820 [incorrect subsequent spelling] | capibara zu Wied-Neuwied, 1826 [incorrect subsequent spelling] | brasiliensis (Moussy, 1860) [nomen nudum] | americanus (Liais, 1872) [nomen novum] | capivara Winge, 1888 [incorrect subsequent spelling] | fossilis F. Ameghino, 1889 [nomen novum] | irroratus F. Ameghino, 1889 | dabbenei Rovereto, 1914 | notialis Hollister, 1914 | uruguayensis C. Ameghino & Rovereto in Rovereto, 1914 | hidrochoerus Pittier & Tate, 1932 [incorrect subsequent spelling] | cololoi Berro in J. C. Francis & Mones, 1968 [nomen nudum] | dabbeni C. A. Woods & Kilpatrick, 2005 [incorrect subsequent spelling | not used as valid] | notalis C. A. Woods & Kilpatrick, 2005 [incorrect subsequent spelling | not used as valid]
Other common names: Capybara|Carpincho
Taxonomy
Subclass: Theria -- Infraclass: Placentalia -- Order: Rodentia -- Family: Caviidae -- Subfamily: Hydrochoerinae
Type specimen voucher catalogue number: UFPB 10
Type locality: "Surinamo." Restricted by A. Feijó and A. Langguth in 2013 to "Rio São Francisco, 2 km sudoeste da cidade de Penedo, estado de Sergipe, Brasil" by selection of neotype.
Country distribution (coarse map shown below; most species exist in only part of countries): Colombia (COL) | Venezuela (VEN) | Guyana (GUY) | Suriname (SUR) | French Guiana (GUF) | Brazil (BRA) | Ecuador (ECU) | Peru (PER) | Bolivia (BOL) | Paraguay (PRY) | Uruguay (URY) | Argentina (ARG)
Species Status: This species is currently living, it lives in wild habitats, its taxonomic status is currently accepted, and it is listed in MSW3 2005.
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species status: Least concern
Species-specific notes: may include H. isthmius, but the species is tentatively retained here
Citation: Byrne, M.S., Ruiz-García, M. and Túnez, J.I. 2021. Phylogeography of the capybara, Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris, in a large portion of its distribution area in South America. Journal of Mammalian Evolution 29(1):191-206.
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