Guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus) are rodents with short limbs, a lack of a visible tail, and continuously growing incisors. They are highly social herbivores, native to South America. Their hair can be coarse, smooth, or silky, and comes in many colors, including tan, white, cream, chocolate brown, and black. There are several breeds of domesticated guinea pigs, grouped by hair length and coat texture. These adorable rodents typically measure between 8 and 16 inches long and weigh between one and three pounds. Continue reading to learn about one guinea pig who defied the odds, becoming the largest guinea pig ever.
The Largest Guinea Pig Ever
Modern guinea pigs are much smaller and distantly related to the giant rodents like Goyas.
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In May 2000, a team of Venezuelan researchers recovered fossilized bones in a South American desert called Urumaco. When they uncovered the jaw, the explorers were shocked to find a rodent over 10 times larger than any on record. The bones were discovered at Tio Gregorio. The region is known as Goya, and the newly discovered fossil was named after it.
Closer examination determined that the bones most likely belonged to Phoberomys pattersoni, an extinct rodent that lived around 8 million years ago. It would have been about 9 feet long and weighed approximately 1,500 pounds, about the same size as a cow.
It’s believed that, thanks to its size and strength, Phoberomys pattersoni had few predators. These may have included 30-foot-long crocodiles, flightless carnivorous birds, and lion-sized marsupials.
How the Goya Survived
Goyas were giant caviomorph rodents distantly related to modern capybaras, but are not considered their direct ancestors.
©Andrew M. Allport/Shutterstock.com
The scientific community believes giant rodents died out because they were slow and unable to escape predators. Over time, these giants evolved into smaller rodents with short paws that could swiftly flee from predators and burrow to safety.
