- 著者
-
川島 由次
仲田 正
高橋 宏
KAWASHIMA Yoshitsugu
NAKADA Tadashi
TAKAHASHI Hiroshi
琉球大学農学部畜産学科
Department of Animal Science College of Agriculture University of the Ryukyus
- 出版者
- 南方資源利用技術研究会
- 雑誌
- 南方資源利用技術研究会誌 = Journal of the society tropical resources technologists (ISSN:09129588)
- 巻号頁・発行日
- vol.1, no.1, pp.13-22, 1985-03-30
カビバラは南米原産の草食性げっ歯類である.その体長は100~130cm,体高が50~60cm,体重は40~60kgにも達し,げっ歯類では最大の種である.消化器系の特徴は,歯の形態が植物食によく適応し,盲腸の発達がきわめてよいことである.妊娠期間は約150日間,産子数は平均5頭で,出産は2年間で3回可能である,乳頭数は5対が基本数である.カピバラの繁殖率はウシと比較して約6倍高い値が得られている.本種は早熟なので1年半でと殺が可能である.1日増体量は54g,枝肉歩どまりは51%なので,その産肉効率をウシと比べると3.4倍高い値を示している.肉は焼き肉が美味であるが,ソーセージ類・燻製品などにも加工されている.皮革は水にぬれて乾いても堅くならない特色をもっている.カピバラは穀類に依存しないで,ホテイアオイや湿地性の植物で飼育可能な省エネルギー動物であり,将来の有望な食肉資源である.The capybara is a South American herbivorous rodent. It is the largest living rodent, as the length of the head and body, the body height and the body weight are 100-130 cm, 50-60 cm and 40-60 kg, respectively. As the characteristics of the digestive sysem, it is found that the dentition is specially suited to grind the feed and the cecum shows a marked development The duration of pregnancy averages about 130 days. The size of litter averages 5 youngs. Three parturitions for two years in a capybara are possible. There are five pairs of ventral mammae. The capybara is about six times as efficient as the cattle in its productive performance. It reaches early at sexual maturity, and the early maturity makes it possible to slaughter within 1.5 years. It achieves a growth rate of about 54g per day. Carcass yield is 51%. A comparison of the productive efficiency of the capybara and the cattle has shown that the capybara is 3.4 times as efficient as the cattle. The meat has a good taste and is used for the production of sausages and smoked meat. As its hide has the property of stretching in one direction only, and is, therefore, much sought after by leather makers. The capybara feeds mainly on grasses and sometimes eats aquatic plants such as the water hyacinth. It appears that the capybara may become an indigenous source of meat, which enables to be produced at comparatively low costs because it does not eat grains.