Guinea Pig (Cavia Porcellus) - Animals - A-Z Animals - Animal Facts, Information, Pictures, Videos, Resources and Links

The guinea pig is a small, furry herbivore that rarely grows to more than 30cm in length. The domestic guinea pig can get to around 6 or 7 years old. A wild guinea pig would probably be about 3 or 4.

All around the world guinea pigs are kept as pets. If treated properly and given the right amount of time and energy, they can become extremely tame.They are a lot of effort and are far from being easy to take care of but they are well worth the effort.

The guinea pig tends to communicate through a series of high pitched squeals. Apparently guinea pigs are unable to judge height and distances accurately and should therefore never be left on a bed or table without supervision.

Guinea pigs were thought to have been domesticated and used in South America as a source of food from as early as 5,000 BC and the guinea pig was also often depicted in art and are seen in statues that are from the times of the ancient civilizations of Peru. In some instances the guinea pig is thought to be a supernatural medium and the guinea pig is therefore often used to heal the sick.

With the Spanish conquest of South America in the 1500s came the selective breeding of the guinea pig, which has resulted in the diverse variety of guinea pigs that are seen today.

The domestic guinea pigs love to be with at least one other guinea pig, as guinea pigs are very sociable animals. Guinea pigs are also highly territorial and pet owners often find the guinea pig acting strangely after its cage has been cleaned out. Commonly guinea pigs will urinate and will drag their body along the floor of their newly cleaned cage in order to remark their territory.

Wild guinea pigs tend to eat grass and small plant matter as the main part of their diet and the continuously growing teeth of the guinea pig are well suited to such a diet. The wild guinea pig is also known to supplement its diet by eating its own feces, soft pellets that are specially produced by the guinea pig so that it can digest the vital nutrients contained within it.

Domestic guinea pigs have a diet that is primarily made up from dried food pellets and the diet of the guinea pig is often bulked out by the guinea pig eating the hay (dried grass) that is put into the cage of the guinea pig, usually as bedding.

Guinea Pig Comments (12)

Olivia

"I lerned a lot and ive been researching a lot of information because im getting a guinea pig when i come back from wisconsin and im making sure i know as much as possible about em. :)"

hanna

"wow this site is great i learned alot i dont have a guinea pig but me and my grama r geting 2 i love these picks"

Lucas

"the thing about the not being able to judge the distance of things is so true. My guinea pig will throw herself of anything thinking she can make the jump. Every time i let her on the bed i cant take my eyes off of her for 2 sec. "

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Guinea Pig Facts

Kingdom:

A level of classifying all living things on earth, as similar species are broken into 5 groups including plants, animals and fungi....

Animalia

Phylum:

A level of classifying animals within the animal kingdom. Phylum are further divided into subgroups called classes....

Cnidaria

Class:

A level of classifying animals in a phylum. Classes are then sub-divided into further groups known as orders....

Mammalia

Order:

A level used to classify animals. Classes are broken into sub-groups known as order, which are broken down further into families....

Rodentia

Family:

A level of classifying animals within an order. Orders are broken down in families and families are broken down further into smaller groups called genus....

Caviidae

Genus:

A level of classifying animals within a family. Families are divided into sub-groups called genus which generally contain one or two animal species....

Cavia

Scientific Name:

Cavia Porcellus

Type:

Mammal

Diet:

Herbivore

Size:

20-25cm (8-10in)

Weight:

700-1,200g (1.5-2.5lbs)

Top Speed:

9km/h (5.5mph)

Life Span:

4-7 years

Lifestyle:

Solitary

Conservation Status:

The conservation status of a species is an indicator of the likelihood of that species remaining extant either in the present day or the near future. Many factors are taken into account when assessing the conservation s...

Least Concern

Colour:

Grey, Tan, Brown, Black, White, Orange

Skin Type:

Fur

Favourite Food:

Seeds

Habitat:

The term habitat is used to describe a specific area where a particular animal lives, within an environment. Many animals have adapted to requiring specific conditions which can only be found in their natural habitat su...

Tropical grassland areas

Average Litter Size:

Main Prey:

When an animal is referred to prey, it means that the animal is either hunted or caught for food. Animals that are referred to as prey are generally hunted by bigger animals, although there are a number of exceptions....

Seeds, Grass, Leaves

Predators:

When an animal is referred to as a predator, it means that the animal either hunts or catches other animals. Predatory animals are generally dominant within their environment and will generally hunt animals smaller than...

Wolf, Snake, Coyote

Special Features:

Small body and thick, wiry coat

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