Texas mammals

Capybara in Texas

Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris

Introduced to Texas

USGS NAS records 1 nonindigenous Texas occurrence (no established population reported).

IUCN Red List status

  1. LC
  2. NT
  3. VU
  4. EN
  5. CR
  6. EW
  7. EX

LC – Least Concern

Widespread and abundant; not at risk.

Capybara in Texas, by the numbers

Rare in Texas 157th most recorded of 197 mammals logged in Texas

3 occurrence records
2 with iNaturalist photos
Oct 11, 2023 Last seen in Texas

Records from 2000–2026.

When to look for the Capybara in Texas

Most sightings fall in January.

3 Texas occurrence records (iNaturalist and GBIF) by month of year, 2000–2026. Shows when the species is recorded, not a guarantee of presence. Based on a small number of dated records; the seasonal pattern may not be representative.

Monthly Texas records (table)
MonthRecords
January1
February0
March0
April0
May0
June0
July0
August0
September0
October1
November1
December0

Monthly capybara occurrence records (iNaturalist and GBIF) in Texas, 2000–2026.

Seasonality

Sparse observation record in Texas; presence confirmed but timing of activity not well documented.

Occurrence map

Where Capybara has been recorded in Texas

3 records mapped · zoom and drag to explore

3 Texas records mapped

Where it's recorded in Texas

CountyRecords
Bexar County 1
Harris County 1
Atascosa County 1

The complete county distribution, spread across 3 Texas counties. Every occurrence record falls in one county, so these sum to the total. Counties from GBIF and US Census boundaries.

Capybara isn’t native anywhere near Texas. It’s a South American rodent, the largest in the world, and the handful of Texas records almost certainly trace back to the state’s exotic game-ranch industry, escapees or intentionally released animals from Hill Country and South Texas ranches that keep exotic species for hunting or display, rather than any wild, self-sustaining population. USGS NAS lists just one confirmed nonindigenous Texas occurrence, with no established population reported.

The 3 records, one each in January, October, and November, are nowhere near enough to say anything about timing or behavior. Capybaras are strong swimmers tied to rivers and wetlands, so if a self-sustaining group ever does take hold here, it would likely be along a permanent waterway, not the dry-country places sometimes listed as sightings.

Occurrence data from iNaturalist and GBIF.

More mammals in Texas in the atlas

Data & sources

The data and visualizations on this page draw on these open sources:

  • GBIFCC-BY 4.0occurrence records behind the range map, elevation, and record counts
  • iNaturalistCC0 / CC-BY / CC-BY-SAobservations, photos, and audio recordings
  • IUCN Red Listattributed factthe global conservation status
  • USGS NASpublic domainnative / introduced status
  • Natural Earthpublic domainthe relief basemap
  • USFSpublic domainnational-forest boundaries