The capibara occupies elevations up to 500 meters and inhabits tropical dry forests characterized by heat and a dry season with deciduous trees, tropical moist forests that are consistently hot and humid with large trees and vines, flooded meadows where water frequently covers the ground and there is abundant grass, and tropical savannas with heat, uneven rainfall, and plentiful grass and trees; the species is found in freshwater bodies, lakes, ponds, marshes, swamps, rivers, streams, on land, and within terrestrial forests. The climate varies, with little precipitation in winter and more in summer, or with a hot climate and heavy summer rains and little winter precipitation, or a consistently hot and humid climate with nearly daily rainfall, or a hot climate with frequent rain but occasional dry periods, or simply a very hot climate throughout the year with frequent rain and occasional dryness.