Guinea Pig (Cavia Porcellus) Species, Details, Cost, Origin, Facts, Pictures & More

The Guinea Pig is one of the best social companion animals of the rodent species. The scientific name of this species is Cavia Porcellus. The Guinea Pig belongs to the family Caviidae under the order Rodentia. The origin of this species is not clear, the Guinea Pig is not from the native of Guinea, and it is not biologically related to Pigs. At the beginning, it was found in the range of the Andes in South America. The studies based on biochemistry and hybridization say these are domesticated animals like related to cavy species. Nowadays, these species do not exist naturally in the wild. It was first domesticated in the early days of 5000 BC by the tribes lived in the Andean region of South America for food.

In the 15th century, Guinea pigs were bought to Europe by some Spanish sailors for domestication purposes. The size of Guinea Pig is around 20 to 25 cm, and the weight will be about 700 to 1,200 g. The Guinea pigs that grow in livestock will reach a weight of up to 3 kg. These animals are also familiarly known as cavy or domestic cavy, domestic guinea pig. Most of the Guinea Pigs have fur, but the laboratory breed is skinny and furless. There are some long fur breeds like Peruvian, the Silkie, and the Texel.

Lifespan: 4 to 8 years
Weight: 0.7 to 1.2 kg (Adult)
Scientific name: Cavia porcellus
Gestation period: 59 to 72 days (Adult)
Family: Caviidae
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Genus: Cavia
Species: C. porcellus

Species of Guinea Pig

Guinea Pig belongs to the genus Cavia. Under this species, there are various breeds with the same habitat, and all are domesticated animals. Here we listed some breeds of guinea pig.

• White Crested
• Satin versions
• Silkie
• Texel
• Peruvian
• Coronet
• Merino (English Merino)
• Lunkarya
• Sheba (Sheba Mini Yak)
• Abyssinian
• Teddy

Guinea Pig Cost

It is one of the charming pets in the world, and If you are interested in buying, then you have to know the cost. The price of the actual Guniea Pig will be around $10 to $40. Apart from its cost, when it grows you have to buy a cage and some materials to maintain it.

Interesting Facts about Guinea Pig

• The Guinea Pig is one of the great pets for children. It is not brittle as rabbits but less nervous than other family members like hamsters and gerbils. It is a good pet for both school-age kids and elders.
• These animals are good at keeping themselves clean but sometimes smells bad. The pops and urine buildups of the species are the reason for the smell.
• Guinea Pigs has a long or short coat which will be silky, plain or multicolored. It can be in colors like white, creamy, grey, brown and black.
• The Guinea Pig has a large head, cylindrical body, and petal-shaped ears which makes it even cuter. The small triangular mouth of the breed has 20 teeth, in which the front teeth will continuously grow of its entire life.
• In the initial days, it is mainly used for laboratory purposes. Later found that it has the ability to cure some human health issues like juvenile diabetes, tuberculosis, scurvy, and pregnancy complications.
• These species have good vision, but they cannot watch straight. The tactile hairs that surrounded the eyes, mouth, and nose of the animal will help them to detect food and to navigate them during the dark.
• Guinea Pigs are most active in dusk and dawn. The structure of this animal is not suitable for extremely high and low temperatures.
• The Guinea Pig is a herbivorous animal, and they mainly consume grass and vegetables. And it also eats lettuce, mustard greens, carrots, bananas, apples, and various berries.
• Natural predators of these animals are cats, coyotes, wolves, snakes, hawks, owls, and humans.
• The Guinea pig makes squeaks sound to get attention and purrs sound when it is happy. It does not have any specific season for mating; it mates all over the year.
• It will be pregnant for 59 to 72 days and yield 3 to 4 pups. The Juveniles need mothers milk for three weeks and reaches sexual maturity in 3 to 5 weeks.
• The life span of Guinea Pig is around 4 to 5 years.

Guinea Pig Images

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