Guinea Pig Facts
Guinea Pig Facts
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2. They belong to the rodent family.
3. The original colour is golden agouti.
4. They do not originate from Guinea as we would suppose but came from South America.
5. Their native home is the mountains and grasslands of Peru, Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay.
6. The Inca's bred them for consumption and for offering as sacrifices to their gods.
7. There is some dispute as to when they first arrived in Europe, some reports tell of the Spaniards bringing them home with them at the beginning of the sixteenth century. Others believe that English seamen brought them to Europe later on that century. By the beginning of the eighteenth century they were being kept widely as exotic pets of the wealthy.
8. The name guinea is thought to have derived from the monitory unit the guinea as it is believed that was the price of the first guinea pigs to reach the pet market. This was a lot of money in those days. Pig, is thought to have been used because the animals were seen to be rooting through the undergrowth for food just like the farmyard pig.
9. Today there are many guinea pigs kept as pet's world-wide. They are said to be the most popular pet of all the rodents.
10. They eat fruits and vegetables in addition to commercial pellets. They prefer green leafy vegetables such as carrot tops and lettuce.
11. These small mammals come in a wide variety of colors and have differing coat lengths depending on the specific breed. Some common colors are: white, black, red, cream, lilac, and brown. Any combination of these colors is also possible.
12. The guinea pig have no external tail. They have four digits on the front feet and only three digits on their back feet, all of which are equipped with sharp claws.
13. These social animals often form groups of 5 to 10 animals. They communicate using squeaks to express excitement and chirps to indicate distress. Tooth chattering is often used to indicate aggression or submission.
14. There are three hair coat varieties:English short hair,Peruvian long straight hair,and Abyssinian whorled hair.
15. Guinea pigs aren't pigs, although the males are called boars and the females are called sows. These chubby rodents, originally from South America, make great pets. They live a long time (for rodents) and they're not fussy. They eat and "talk" a lot. And if you treat them well, they can become fond of you. Are they the perfect pet? Dick King-Smith, the author of I Love Guinea Pigs, sure thinks so!
16. Guinea pigs come from the grasslands and lower slopes of the Andes Mountains in South America.
17. Living in a draughty, damp, poorly ventilated or dirty environment can cause guinea pigs to suffer and become ill.
18. Guinea pigs are active animals. They need the opportunity to run, stand fully upright on their back legs, and stretch out when lying down.
19. Guinea pigs are sensitive to temperature changes. They must be kept out of extreme heat or cold. Temperatures above 26°C can cause heat stroke and below 15°C can cause them to become chilled.
20. Guinea pigs are not very agile and are poor climbers.
21. Guinea pigs are inquisitive. If there are hazards within their environment they may easily injure themselves.
22. Guinea pigs must be able to avoid things that scare them. Guinea pigs are a prey species and must be able to hide in a secure place, such as a tunnel, away from the sight and smell of predators (e.g. foxes, cats, dogs, ferrets and birds of prey).
23. Guinea pigs are creatures of habit and prefer a routine. They can easily become stressed if they are housed where there is a lot of noise and activity.
24. Guinea pigs are intelligent. They like to gnaw, chew and explore by moving from one area to another through tunnels. If guinea pigs are bored, and do not have enough to do, they may suffer.
25. Without water to drink a guinea pig can become seriously ill.
26. Guinea pigs are grazers and naturally eat only grass, herbs and some plants like dandelion and groundsel.
27. The guinea pig's digestive system must have lots of grass and/or hay in order to function properly.
28. Some plants are poisonous to guinea pigs. Guinea pigs do not naturally eat cereals, root vegetables or fruit.
29. Guinea pigs have special dietary needs and must have sufficient Vitamin C in their diet.
30. Guinea pigs naturally eat for long periods of time throughout the day and night.
31. How much an individual guinea pig needs to eat depends on his/her age, lifestyle and state of health.
32. If a guinea pig eats more food than he/she needs, or too much of the wrong food, such as fruit or sweet treats, he/she will become overweight and may suffer.
33. Guinea pigs’ teeth grow continuously throughout their life and need to be worn down and kept at the correct length and shape by eating grass, hay and leafy green plants. Failure to eat the right diet can result in serious dental disease.
34. Guinea pigs produce two types of droppings - hard dry pellets, and softer moist pellets that they eat directly from their bottom and which are an essential part of their diet.
35. Guinea pigs are very social and inquisitive animals and need to interact with other friendly guinea pigs. Many can enjoy interacting with people.
36. Guinea pigs are active animals. They are active during the day and night and need frequent opportunities to exercise.
37. Sound is an important means of communication for a guinea pig and they have a wide variety of sounds that mean different things.
38. Guinea pigs must be able to avoid things that scare them. to hide in a secure place, away from the sight and smell of predators (e.g. foxes, cats, dogs, ferrets and birds of prey).
39. The way a guinea pig behaves will depend on his/her age, personality and past experiences.
40. If a guinea pig changes his/her behaviour, he/she could be distressed, bored, ill or injured.
41. Guinea pigs that are frightened or in pain may change their behaviour or develop unwanted habits e.g. aggression or hiding most of the time.
42. Signs that a guinea pig may be suffering from stress or fear can include hiding most of the time, chewing cage bars, over-grooming, altered feeding or toileting habits, over-drinking or playing with the water bottle, sitting hunched, reluctance to move, and repeated circling of his/her enclosure.
43. Guinea pigs feel pain in the same way as other mammals, including people.
44. Guinea pigs are not good at showing outward signs of pain so may be suffering a great deal before anything is noticed. A change in the way a guinea pig normally behaves can be an early sign he/she is ill or in pain. If a guinea pig is not eating, is more quiet or hiding more than usual, he/she is highly likely to be ill or in pain.
45. Guinea pigs are vulnerable to many infectious diseases and other illnesses, especially dental disease.
46. Guinea pigs that are stressed are much more likely to become ill.
47. Signs that a guinea pig may be suffering from stress or fear can include hiding most of the time, chewing cage bars, over-grooming, altered feeding or toileting habits, over-drinking or playing with the water bottle, sitting hunched, reluctance to move, and repeated circling of his/her enclosure.
48. Some breeds of guinea pig have been selected for exaggerated physical features which can cause them to suffer and reduce their quality of life. For example long-haired breeds have very long hair which easily becomes matted.
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