The guinea pig (Cavia porcellus), also known as cobayo, guinea pig or guinea pig, is a small rodent native to South America. Initially it was used for meat production, however, over time it began to be used as a companion animal and as an experimental animal.
Surely at some point you have had contact with one of these cute animals, but do you know their peculiarities well? If you want to discover them, join us in the next article on our site, in which we will talk about curiosities of guinea pigs that you did not know
They were domesticated thousands of years ago
Guinea pigs are animals that come from South America, specifically they have their origin in the Andes of Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina. These small rodents began to be domesticated 5,000 years BC However, in the beginning they were not used as pets, but for meat production. In addition to being used as food, the guinea pig was also used in religious ceremonies and for the diagnosis of diseases.
These rodents were introduced to Europe about 400 years ago, where they established themselves as pets and laboratory animals, but not for meat consumption.
They are very sociable
Naturally, guinea pigs are herd animals that live in groups. They usually form families of more than 10 guinea pigs, made up of several females and one or two males. The fact of living in a group makes them quite sociable animals, who usually enjoy the company of other congeners, and can even become depressed when they are alone.
They are born very developed
Guinea pig gestation is relatively long (ranging from 58 to 75 days). This means that, unlike other rodents, guinea pigs are born highly developed, with their eyes open, covered with fur and with their final teeth erupted In addition, although I eat good mammals have a period of lactation, they begin to consume solid food a few days after birth. All of these features help protect the hatchlings from attack by predators.
They grow up very fast
Another of the curiosities of guinea pigs is that they are animals with very rapid growth. During the first weeks of life they can gain up to 50 grams a week, which is truly remarkable considering the small size of these animals. Afterwards, growth slows until they reach adult size at 14-15 months of age.
They have a higher temperature than ours
Surely you have heard that dogs and cats have a somewhat higher body temperature than ours. Well, this characteristic is also fulfilled in the case of guinea pigs, whose normal temperature range oscillates e between 37.2 and 39.7 ºC Below this range, the animal will be considered hypothermic, and above it, the animal will be considered to have a fever.
They have a good memory
In particular, guinea pigs have a great ability to memorize the environments they inhabit and map them in their heads. This means that, even if they don't have great night vision, they are able to navigate their enclosures with great precision, even at night.
Did you know this curious fact about guinea pigs? Well, continue investigating in this other article: "How do guinea pigs see?".
You can sleep with your eyes open
Although they have movable eyelids that allow them to close their eyes, many guinea pigs sleep with their eyes open. Some do it regularly and others only sporadically. This is nothing more than a defense mechanism that they have developed to be able to act quickly in any risk situation, even when they are asleep.
Your teeth grow continuously
Guinea pigs have a open root dentition, which causes their teeth to grow continuously throughout their lives. Under normal conditions, the rate of erosion and eruption of the teeth is balanced, which allows these rodents to keep their teeth in perfect condition. However, when guinea pigs are not offered an abrasive food (such as hay) that allows their teeth to progressively wear down, overgrowth occurs that leads to dental disease.
In this other article we help you choose the best hay for your guinea pig, don't miss it!
They do not synthesize vitamin C
Like humans, primates, and some species of bats, guinea pigs are unable to produce vitamin C on their own because lacks the enzyme L -gluconolactone oxidase , necessary for the synthesis of this vitamin. For this reason, it is essential to offer these animals a diet rich in vitamin C, which allows them to cover their nutritional requirements (between 5-30 mg of vitamin C per kg of weight). The contribution is achieved through fresh vegetables rich in vitamin C (such as green pepper or citrus) or with supplements in the feed.
If you didn't know this curiosity about guinea pigs either, don't miss this other post: "Importance of vitamin C for guinea pigs".
They eat their feces
Another of the most curious facts about guinea pigs is that they are coprophagous, which means that they regularly ingest their faeces. Although it may seem like an unhygienic practice, they actually do it to get B vitamins and to optimize protein intake.
Have a tendency to obesity
Obesity is one of the most common diseases in these rodents. For this reason, it is advisable to monitor their weight weekly and provide them with a balanced diet that combines feed, forage and fresh food in an appropriate proportion. For reference, your daily ration should be made up of:
- 70% hay.
- 20% fresh food (basically leafy vegetables and to a lesser extent other vegetables and fruits)
- I think about 10%.
They have very sensitive hearing
Guinea pig ears are capable of perceiving frequencies between 12 and 60,000 Hz, while the human ear only picks up frequencies of 20 to 20,000 Hz, this being another of the most surprising curiosities of guinea pigs. They have an especially sensitive sense of hearing, so they are able to perceive the audible spectrum and the ultrasonic range. Therefore, it is important to avoid loud noises in homes with guinea pigs, since they can cause great stress.
Other curiosities about guinea pigs
In addition to the curiosities that we have described in the previous sections, there are other curious facts about guinea pigs that you may not yet know:
- In English they are known as the guinea pig, however, they do not come from Guinea and are not related to pigs.
- There are long-haired guinea pigs, short-haired guinea pigs, and also hairless guinea pigs (such as skinny and baldwin breeds)
- It has a great tradition as a companion animal in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany and the USA.
- In South America they are used for meat production because they are low in fat and rich in protein.
- They are intelligent animals. Despite their small size, they are capable of learning tricks and enjoy solving problems.
- Their life expectancy is 4-5 years, although in some cases they can live up to 8-9 years.
- They are animals crepuscular, this means that they have their busiest hours in the morning and afternoon.
- They use the sense of smell to recognize themselves, specifically, they are recognized by the smell emitted by sebaceous glands on their rump.
- They have a 340º angle of vision, this means that they have an almost full range of vision, with only two blind spots (one in front and one behind).
- They have color vision, although it is somewhat poorer than ours. Basically they perceive blue, violet and slightly greenish tones.
- Their sense of smell is exceptional: It has been estimated that they have a sense of smell about 1,000 times that of humans.
- There are albino guinea pigs with completely white fur and red or pink eyes. However, it should be noted that not all pink-eyed white guinea pigs are necessarily albino.
- They are animals very vocal: they are able to communicate with a wide variety of sounds (squeaks, whistles, moans, purrs, grinding of teeth, etc.).
- They are skittish: Being prey animals, they are usually always alert to what is happening around them. When frightened, they lie still to remain unnoticed and flee at high speed when danger is near.
- They are agile animals: they can run at 9 km/h and jump up to 30 cm high.
If you already share your life with a guinea pig or are thinking of doing so, don't miss this article on Caring for a guinea pig.
