Guinea Pig in detail, Good pet? | Behavior |Diet | Characteristics

Guinea pig

All you wanna know about Guinea pig.

The guinea pig or domestic guinea pig also known as cavy, is a species of rodent. Guinea pigs' name is very surprising. It’s name is cumulative of Guinea (African country) and pig but this animal has no close relation to both, and Origin of their name is still unclear. They originated in the Andes of South America. Guinea pig’s scientific name is “Cavia porcellus”.

How the guinea pig came to be called "pig" is still not clear. They somewhat look like pigs, with big heads comparative to their bodies, heavy necks, and rounded rumps and do not have tails; the sounds they emitted are very similar to the sound made by pigs, and eating is like their hobby they spend a large amount of time eating.

Guinea pig is a good pet?

Guinea pig has widespread popularity as a pocket pet in the Western society since the 16th century. Their docile nature, friendly responsiveness to handling and feeding, and the relative ease of caring for them have made guinea pigs a continuing popular choice of household pet. If we handle guinea pigs correctly early in life, they become amenable to being picked up and carried, and very rarely they bite or scratch. They are not courageous and often hesitate to attempt an escape from their cage even when an opportunity presents itself. Domesticated guinea pigs develop well and fast if they are in groups of two or more.

Breeding facilities of guinea pigs are formed worldwide. They competitively bred many specialized breeds, with different coat colors and textures.

Characteristics of Guinea pig:

Guinea pigs are large for rodents; the common Guinea pig breed’s weight is between 700 and 1200 g (1.5 and 2.6 lb) The fully grown guinea pig measures between 20 and 25 cm in length. Some fully grown guinea pig breeds can weigh 3 kilograms. (6.6 lb) Pet breeds of Guinea pig live an average of 4 to 5 years, but may live as long as 8 years. Most guinea pigs have fur.

Guinea pig eyesight is not good as compared to humans in terms of distance and color, but they have a wider angle of vision. (about 340°) They have good and developed senses of hearing, smell, and touch.

Appearance of guinea pig.

Domesticated guinea pigs occur in many breeds, which have been developed since their introduction to the world. Guinea pig’s varieties are differentiated over hairs and color compositions. 

Some of guinea pig breeds are listed below with images:

Black Silkie guinea pig

Black guinea pig

English shorthair (also known as the American), which has a short, smooth coat.

English shorthair guinea pig

Abyssinian Guinea pig, whose coat is ruffled with cowlicks, or rosettes. 

Abyssinian Guinea pig

Peruvian Guinea pig and the Sheltie (or Silkie), both straight longhair breeds.

Long hair Peruvian Guinea pig

Texel guinea pig, a curly longhair. 

Curly hair Texel Guinea Pig

Behavior of guinea pig

Guinea pigs have good memory, they can learn complex paths to food, and can accurately remember a learned path for months. They are not good climbers and are not particularly agile. When happily excited, guinea pigs may repeatedly perform little hops in the air (known as "popcorning"), a movement analogous to the ferret's war dance. They are also good swimmers. 

Diet of Guinea pig

The guinea pig's natural diet is grass; their molars (Flat back teeths) are particularly suited for grinding plant matter and grow continuously throughout their life.

Healthy diets for guinea pigs require a complex balance of calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and hydrogen ions; but adequate amounts of vitamins A, D, and E are also necessary.

They required vitamin C from their food unlike most other mammals who can synthesize their own vitamin C. If guinea pigs do not swallow enough vitamin C, they can suffer from potentially fatal scurvy. Guinea pigs require around 10 mg of vitamin C every day (20 mg if pregnant), which can be fulfilled through fresh, raw vegetables and fruits. (such as broccoli, apple, cabbage, carrot, celery, and spinach) 

A lot of plants are poisonous to guinea pig animal, some of them are following: bracken, deadly nightshade, foxglove, hellebore, bryony, buttercup, charlock, hemlock, lily of the valley, ragwort, rhubarb, speedwell, mayweed, monkshood, privet, toadflax (both Linaria vulgaris and Linaria dalmatica), and wild celery. Additionally, the plants which grow from a bulb (e.g., tulip or onion) are normally considered poisonous, as well as oak and ivy tree leaves. A guinea pig may or may not swallow poisonous material.

Common health problems of Guinea pig:

Common health issues in domestic guinea pigs include respiratory tract infections, diarrhea, scurvy (vitamin C deficiency, typically characterized by sluggishness), abscesses due to infection , and infections by mites, lice or fungus.

Guinea pig price in India:

In India, Guinea pig’s price is between 500 - 1000 rupees. It varies according to age, size and breed.

Guinea pig price in USA:

In the USA, Guinea pig’s price is generally $10 - $40.

Remember that guinea pigs thrive in groups so please purchase a couple of animals.

Guinea pig’s names in other languages:

German Meerschweinchen (little sea pig)

Polish świnka morska

Hungarian tengerimalac

Russian морская свинка.

Chinese 豚鼠 (túnshǔ, 'pig mouse')

Japanese モルモット" (morumotto)

A common mistake by people in spelling “Geanu pig” instead of guinea pig.