Capybara ride: evidence of whole aquatic plant dispersal

Abstract

The functioning of diverse ecosystems relies on the dispersal processes facilitated by animals, known as zoochory. This ecological process is the only way in which some aquatic species can move between aquatic systems through the terrestrial matrix. Despite its paramount importance, the dispersal mechanisms involving certain vectors, such as mammals, have remained relatively poorly understood. Based on observation of capybaras Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris emerging from a wetland with various aquatic plant species attached to their fur, we hypothesized that these mammals play a crucial role in dispersing aquatic plants. We conducted a controlled experiment and confirmed that capybaras disperse two species of duckweed, Lemna valdiviana and Wolffia columbiana, through both endozoochory and epizoochory. The discovery of entire plant dispersal is noteworthy because it is not dependent on the season and does not rely on the production of specific reproductive diaspores. This study presents pioneering documentation of capybaras capacity to disperse entire plants through their gastrointestinal passage and offers further evidence of their role in epizoochory within neotropical wetlands.