Where did guinea pigs come from? General information and origin of guinea pigs. Video: why guinea pig, guinea

This cute animal is a favorite of not only many kids, but also adults. He does not bite, quickly gets used to his hands, he does not require any special care. However, even having such a cute little animal in the house, not everyone thinks why a guinea pig is a pig? After all, it is clear that it has no direct relation to dairy grunting animals. On the other hand, why is a guinea pig a guinea pig? After all, neither she nor her wild relatives can swim. Let's find out these questions, for this we will have to plunge into history.

general information

Before proceeding to the question of why the guinea pig is called that way and not otherwise, let's find out where the homeland of these animals is and why they were tamed. Indians took up South America, and it was back in the 7th century BC. e. In the homeland of rodents then called gui, or aporea. Their reproduction in nature occurs all year round, pregnancy lasts a little more than 2 months, and within a few hours after birth, the little animal is ready to breed again! It is for this reason that the Indians bred rodents, using them as household pigs, served as their main source of meat, and they were also sacrificed and used for other similar rituals. By the way, in some countries these rodents are still eaten, and the Peruvians once bred a breed of a very large guinea pig for this, it weighed about 2.5 kg. They were first brought to Europe in the 16th century, but rodents were very expensive, not everyone could afford to play with a funny animal.

Why is a guinea pig a pig. First version

Yes, there are several versions of this issue. One of them says that when the Spaniards first landed in South America and saw these rodents, they seemed very similar to them. Therefore, they began to eat them without hesitation. After all, if you take a closer look at the guinea pig, you can see some similarities with a grunting animal. For example, such as short legs, pretty on a short neck and plump body.

Second version

According to other sources, the next version as to why the guinea pig is a pig appeared due to the behavior of the animal. The fact is that when a rodent is anxious, wants to eat, is very dissatisfied with something, or, on the contrary, is in a great mood, glad to see its owner, it makes peculiar sounds that look like grunting or squealing. Which of these two versions is reliable, no one knows for sure. We can only say one thing - the guinea pig owes its name to the Spaniards. Why the animal is called that, we have found out, but not completely. It remains to figure out why the guinea pig is.

Overseas little animal

On this occasion, there is an assumption that in Europe these rodents spread from west to east, and the name that we have today indicates that the animals were brought on ships from across the sea, that is, from the very beginning there were overseas pigs. These cute little animals, which are unpretentious in maintenance and nutrition and easily trained, were the favorite companions of sailors. But in fact, guinea pigs hate water, so do not try to teach your pet to swim, he will simply drown.

Another interesting riddle

Guinea pig - that's what the guinea pig is called in English. As for the translation, there are two versions. According to one assumption, the animal is called "Guinean" in translation because in English. Guinea - Guinea. Perhaps this version was formed due to the incorrect fact that African Guinea is the birthplace of guinea pigs. According to the second version, when the animals were brought to Europe, they were very expensive, respectively, hence (perhaps) the name guinea pig came from - “a pig for a guinea”. This price was high for the vast majority of the population. It is difficult to give preference to one of these versions. However, in any case, the animals are still paying for the speculations of the pioneers.

cute pets

We tried to figure out why a guinea pig is a pig, and where such a name came from. One thing can be said for sure - if you get such a pet, then a lot of positive emotions are guaranteed to you. It is desirable for guinea pigs to live at home in a high cage with a deep tray, and as bedding, you can use sawdust, hay or specific fillers that are sold in specialty stores. Rodents eat with pleasure grain crops. A very important condition for their normal life is a sufficient amount of clean water for drinking, preferably with the addition of vitamin C. But in general, animals are sociable, inquisitive, intelligent. Within a few days, they will begin to respond to the nickname and will be able to sleep peacefully in your arms. They will become a real and full member of your family.

Guinea pig or cavia is a small rodent representing a large family of pigs. The animal has a calm and friendly character, quickly gets used to the owner and can be trained. The guinea pig feeds on root crops, grass, hay and various fruits, and is very undemanding and unpretentious in keeping.

The history of domestication of the guinea pig goes back over seven thousand years. Before the invasion of the Spaniards, the Inca tribes bred several domestic breeds, from which all modern species and subspecies of Cavia originated. However, the main criterion for breeders of the past was not at all color and intelligence, but the taste of meat and size. To this day, in Peru, Ecuador and China, the tradition of eating guinea pigs has been preserved. In Europe and the USA, cavia meat is treated with distrust: culinary experts admit that it is tasty and has a pleasant aroma, but they classify it as exotic.

According to information that has come down to our days, cavia came to the European continent at the end of the sixteenth century.

They quickly gained popularity due to their cute appearance, quick wit and a wide variety of colors. They got their name for sounds and squeals similar to grunting, as well as for the proportions of the body and head. Guinea pigs were named because of the fact that sailors took the animals with them on long voyages. The animals take up little space, eat simple plant foods and are very prolific, plus they are a source of valuable meat.

Appearance of pigs

A simple description of a guinea pig looks like this: a small animal with a cylindrical body, reaching a length of no more than thirty centimeters. An adult male weighs no more than two kilograms, and a female - about a kilogram. The head of the cavia is relatively large, the neck is poorly visible, and the legs are short. Distinctive features from the order of rodents are manifested in the way the guinea pig looks, and in the way of life, in the duration of pregnancy. One of the most obvious distinguishing features is a very short tail.

In nature, they do not dig minks, but live on the surface, and pregnancy lasts up to seventy days.

However, like all representatives of rodents, cavia have a specific bite and pronounced long incisors. The incisors grow throughout life and it is very important to give them hard food to chew on, as well as tree branches so that the teeth grind down. Otherwise, excessively long teeth can damage the tongue, lips and palate. Even experienced breeders don't always know how many teeth a guinea pig has.

From birth, the animal has twenty teeth with a folded surface:

• two pairs of cuts,
• two pairs of premolars
• three pairs of lower molars
• three pairs of upper molars.

Animals differ in color vision. They can see yellow, green, red and blue, but guinea pigs have poor vision and hardly rely on their eyesight. Wild or natural color of pigs is close to black. All color forms that exist today, as well as bald and short-haired breeds, are obtained by artificial means.

Coprophagous pigs

Animals that eat their own excrement are called coprophages. Pigs eat their litter in a rather strange way: they curl up into a ball and swarm around the anus, where the fecal pocket is located. Many breeders have a question - why do guinea pigs eat their own droppings and is it not dangerous to health. Zoologists explain this behavior as follows: the pig's body is not able to process all the amino acids contained in food. Some of the important amino acids and vitamins of the K and B groups are excreted from the body along with feces. Even with vitamin supplements, the animal will continue to eat particles of litter - there is no other way to get all the necessary amino acids.

In nature, pigs eat their droppings for another reason: they are very vulnerable and tend to destroy any traces of their vital activity so as not to attract the attention of predators.

Pig lifestyle

In nature, guinea pigs are most active in the morning and at dusk. They are agile, able to run fast and always alert. Cavia can be seen both in the mountains and in the forests. Guinea pigs do not dig minks, preferring to equip nests in a secluded place from dry grass, fluff and thin twigs.

The social lifestyle of guinea pigs involves living in one territory of a large flock of animals. Each pack or family consists of one male and ten or twenty females. In their natural habitat, the guinea pig eats roots and seeds of plants, leaves, fallen berries and fruits of trees. The life span of wild cavia is no more than seven years.

At home, a guinea pig can live 12-15 years.

They are kept in ordinary cages, but they are provided with sufficient walking: the animal is very active and needs to move. The constant activity of animals raises the question for some breeders: how much guinea pigs sleep and whether they sleep at all. The animal sleeps for ten to fifteen minutes several times a day. The sleep of cubs is less long. If the animal is worried or feels threatened, it may sleep with its eyes open.

In the life of Cavia, four age stages are distinguished. The first is under the mother, when the cub drinks its mother's milk. From the third day on, cubs begin to try adult food, but without milk, the chances of surviving are zero. The second period begins at the moment when the young individual switches to independent feeding and begins to eat all the main adult foods. At home, a grown guinea pig is happy to eat alfalfa or clover hay, young shoots of dandelions and clover, various root crops, fruits, and greens. From roughage, pigs prefer to eat germinated oats or wheat, corn grains. The third period occurs during puberty. Females are ready for fertilization at the age of eight weeks, males - twelve weeks. The fourth period is characterized by a decrease in activity and loss of reproductive function.

Breeders need to constantly monitor the animal's diet and how much the pig eats. Overeating, like fasting, has a negative impact on health. Another important point that every breeder should know is what foods should not be given to cavia. These include:

• red cabbage,
• sweets,
• meat products,
• fish products,
• eggs,
• milk products.

Despite the fact that pigs are ready for breeding at a very early age, it is recommended to receive the first litter from one-year-old animals. By this age, they have time to fully grow, get stronger and form.

Interesting facts about guinea pigs are not limited to their differences from rodents and their attitude towards coprophages:

• distant ancestors of the guinea pig weighed more than 600 kg,
• cavia have 64 chromosomes (humans have only 46),
• Animals make many sounds. They can squeal, snort, grunt, chirp, purr, grunt,
• Cavia can't stand being alone
• their intelligence is slightly inferior to that of dogs and cats.

It is also interesting what the guinea pig dreams of. According to the dream books, if a guinea pig dreamed, this means that a person is not able to withstand the prevailing circumstances, he has low self-esteem. However, a guinea pig sitting on her hands portends joyful events and good news.

Cavia relatives

Relatives of guinea pigs are beavers, squirrels, and even gophers, mice and rats. Such a large number of relatives is explained by the large number of rodents.

Among the relatives of Cavia there are many familiar, and many unusual mammals:

• mara looks like a hare, but larger - weight up to 16 kg,
• agouti - an animal that looks like both a rabbit and an ancient ancestor of modern horses,
• paka - a cautious and more like a deer rodent, weighing up to 12 kg,
• capybara - the largest representative of the detachment weighing up to 60 kg, grows up to 140 cm in length, leads a semi-aquatic lifestyle.

Guinea pig (lat. Cavia porcellus), would probably be very surprised if she found out about her Russian-language name, because she has nothing to do with either real pigs or the sea. Then why is it called that?

Everything is very simple: it became “marine” because it was brought from America, i.e. from across the sea. Although, perhaps, it would be more correct to call it "overseas". In Europe, it is most often called "guinea pig", "pig mouse" or "Indian pig". As you can see, only the word "mumps" does not cause controversy. Why? Because this animal sometimes makes grunting sounds, just like its big namesake.

The Andean tribes of South America were the first to domesticate guinea pigs 5 thousand years ago. True, then they were not just pets. People used them as a source of delicious meat or for various rituals and rituals. Starting from the 13th century AD. Indian tribes became seriously interested in breeding them, and before the conquest of the Inca Empire in 1533, they managed to breed many different breeds.

Of course, modern breeders have gone even further. Today there are a huge number of varieties of guinea pigs that are completely. For example, in pet stores you can find both long-haired animals, and wire-haired, short-haired and even animals with no hair at all or with a little fluff.

In general, guinea pigs have a body length of 25 to 35 cm, they have a wide blunt muzzle with hanging ears, a large body with rounded shapes and no tail at all. Males weigh from 1 to 1.5 kg, females - from 0.8 to 1.2 kg. In wild individuals, the natural color of the upper body is brown-gray, the belly and the inside of the legs are lighter.

These are quite cute pets with a good-natured and trusting character. They love to sit on their hands and play with the owner. However, during such activities, you should be very careful, since a fall even from a small height can have very sad consequences for the animal.

Interestingly, guinea pigs, in addition to grunting, can make many other very different sounds. For example, when they are happy, they can purr. When courting, males sometimes purr. Females during pregnancy or in the absence of a male begin to chirp like birds. They do it at night, continuing their "song" from 2 to 10 minutes. True, this happens very rarely.

Guinea pigs eat hay, grain feed, juicy vegetables and fruits. When feeding, it should be borne in mind that fresh hay should be in the cage around the clock, since the animal grinds its teeth with it, in addition, it helps to normalize the digestive system.

Sometimes the animal can be caught in a not too pleasant procedure - eating its own litter. This habit was inherited from wild ancestors - it turns out that in this way guinea pigs are enriched with vitamins, since vitamins of groups B and K are absorbed in the animal's body only when they pass through the gastrointestinal tract again.

house for guinea pig

Your new friend definitely needs his own house. Any single-story cage or aquarium of sufficient size will do. Since guinea pigs have short legs, they do not need to arrange many attractions in the form of ladders, hammocks, etc.

However, there must be some kind of shelter in the cage so that the shy animal can hide if necessary. It is better if it is a small construction made of bark, then the rodent will grind its teeth on it.

Some veterinarians believe that the constant presence of a shelter for a rodent makes it less tame: he sits in the house all the time, is scared of everything in the world and does not want to play with the owner. If you notice this for your pet, put the house only for the night - let the animal do without it during the day.

It is necessary to pour a litter on the floor: tyrsa, hay, straw, sawdust or wood filler. Make sure that the tyrsa is large, otherwise it can clog the animal's nose. Choose hay that is fresh, not soaked, and devoid of any signs of mold. Tyrsa or hay will have to be changed every 1-2 days, otherwise an unpleasant smell will begin to spread around the apartment.

There will be less trouble with wood filler: it absorbs liquid well, so it needs to be changed much less frequently (once every 3-4 days). True, all these materials can serve as a source of dust, so special corn or paper litter for rodents is a good alternative for them.

Often guinea pigs are very clean and use the same place in the cage for the toilet. Then it remains for the owner to put a small tray with low sides there and pour a little filler. Caring for such a cage will be much easier.

Drinker and feeder

In addition to the house, the guinea pig will need two feeders and a drinker. It is better to buy a vertical ball drinker, it will not be so convenient with a simple bowl: the filler can get into the water, which will make it unsuitable for consumption. You need to change the water every day, even if it seems that the animal does not drink at all.

For dry and wet food, two separate feeders should be purchased. They must be heavy and stable enough, otherwise the mobile animal will constantly turn them over. You can even attach one of them to the cage, and put the second (for wet food) from time to time.

Guinea pig nutrition

Since hay can contain a lot of dust, it must be fed to the rodent in special devices - hay feeders or hay balls. The haymaker is similar to a simple shovel - it must be attached to the outside of the cage so that it fits snugly against the wall. A hay ball is a round mesh structure that is filled with hay. It is hung on the ceiling or fixed in the corner of the cage.

In addition to hay, guinea pigs need to be given straw, various dry herbs (most of all, these animals love dandelions and plantain), cereals and legumes. In summer, they are given sprigs of fruit trees and shrubs, as well as bark and leaves of maple, oak or birch.

In general, about 80% of an animal's menu should consist of dry food. Pet stores sell specialized food designed for guinea pigs. If you have settled on this option, you should not change it too often, otherwise the animal may take a long time to get used to the new taste.

Only 20% is left for wet and soft food. If you exceed this rate and feed the rodent with such food all the time, this can lead to health problems and tooth growth. However, it is also not necessary to deprive the animal of fresh vegetables and fruits.

Guinea pigs love apples, cucumbers, broccoli, white cabbage, lettuce, parsley and various fruits. Since all of these are extremely tasty, they may specifically begin to beg for just such delicacies and ignore everything else. You should not follow their lead, otherwise it will end badly, and, above all, for the pet itself. To calculate the allowable amount of wet food, it is enough to use a simple formula: 5-7 g of wet food per 100 g of animal weight.

Although the ancient Incas fed their guinea pigs with food from their table, as there is a lot of evidence in the form of drawings on vases and other utensils, do not try to repeat this experience: after all, much has changed since then, especially our food.

Remember: a healthy pet is one who has the right diet.

Do I need to give the animal additional vitamins?

Often, veterinarians recommend giving guinea pigs vitamin C by adding it to the drinking bowl with water at the rate of 1 mg per 1 ml of water. However, in the light, this vitamin quickly loses its properties, so the solution must be changed at least once a day.

The rest of the vitamins the animal must receive with food. It is curious that vitamins of groups B and K are absorbed only the second time, so rodents sometimes eat their own droppings.

Features of caring for guinea pigs

From time to time they need to be released from the cage so that they can play. Just take care of their safety: close cats or dogs in another room and do not take the pig to your sofa or table - it may accidentally fall and be injured.

Otherwise, caring for them is not particularly difficult, they do not need as much attention as a cat or dog, so even very busy people often take them into the house.

Guinea pig(lat. Cavia porcellus), would probably be very surprised if she found out about her Russian-language name, because she has nothing to do with either real pigs or the sea. Then why is it called that way? Everything is very simple: it became “marine” because it was brought from America, i.e. from across the sea. In Europe, it is most often called "guinea pig", "pig mouse" or "Indian pig". As you can see, only the word "mumps" does not cause controversy. Why? Because this animal sometimes makes grunting and squealing sounds, just like its big namesake. Due to the characteristic bite and incisors, it is considered to be a large family of rodents. Based on recent research, a number of scientists are still of the opinion that guinea pigs should be combined into a new separate subfamily. However, there is no doubt that the original homeland of the animals - Central and South America, and there is evidence that the history of the existence of guinea pigs has 35-40 million years. The domestication of wild guinea pigs began in the ninth or third millennium BC. e. It is likely that these animals themselves came to human dwellings in search of protection and warmth. Incas guinea pigs were sacrificial animals who were sacrificed to the sun god. Particularly popular were animals with a variegated brown or white color. The ancestor of our guinea pigs is Guinea pig Cavia aperea tschudi. It is found in the southern regions of Chile, located at an altitude of 4200 m above sea level, and lives in underground burrows in small groups of five to ten animals. In appearance and body structure it differs greatly from our guinea-pigs, which is due to the food depleted in water and rich in cellulose, but there is no difference in terms of food intake and fertility.

Of the hundreds of species of small mammals, only a few are suitable for keeping in a city apartment. These types include Guinea pigs, which are bred not only in the vivariums of research institutes, but also at home.

A guinea pig is easier to keep than a dog or cat., and this animal brings no less aesthetic pleasure. The dog should be regularly taken for a walk in any weather; during a walk, especially in the rain, it gets dirty and has to be washed in the bath. True, the cat does not need a walk, she has enough room, but she likes to sharpen her claws on upholstered furniture and after a while makes her look untidy.

The guinea pig is another matter. It requires only a little attention and a little space for the cage, it is unpretentious, you can always buy food for it, care is not difficult and takes a little time every day. These animals are calmer than dogs and even cats and have many positive qualities that are very valuable at home. Self-care for them can be trusted to children over 8-9 years old, since guinea pigs, as a rule, belong to good-natured, tame animals.

General information and origin of guinea pigs was last modified: October 16th, 2014 by allpets1

In one children's movie, a guinea pig resents the name given to her. She rightly claims to be related to rodents and complained that she was motion sick on the ship. Why is the guinea pig so called several hypotheses. All of them are realistic and based on real stories.

From the point of view of zoologists, guinea pigs have nothing to do with pigs. These are rodents of the mumps family, a genus of pigs. In the wild, and now the brown-gray rodent lives in South America. The first drawings depicting this amazing rodent, discovered by scientists, date back to the 5th century BC, more precisely, they are more than 25 centuries old.

The first pigs were tamed by the tribes living on the slopes of the Andes. Now this territory belongs to several states:

• Peru;
• Colombia;
• Bolivia;
• Ecuador.

Peru played a special role in the appearance of guinea pigs, it was on its territory that scientists got acquainted with this animal. The first rodents came to Europe from the territory of this country. There, the Mochica tribe had a guinea pig among its idols and worshiped it. Found figurines depicting this animal in places of ritual sacrifice.

Ancient Peruvians from the Mochica tribe worshiped the guinea pig

The Incas were the first to domesticate rodents. They still use them as a source of dietary meat. But they called her Koris, Kevy. Currently in Bolivia, many restaurants serve Cui. This is the name of a guinea pig that has changed over time.

Currently, a large number of kewis live in South America. They are found in the mountains and on the plains, live in the sands and savannah. Their color differs slightly, mostly brown-gray with a light tummy. Variants depending on the area in coloring are simple, the predominance of one of the dominant tones on the back.

Pigs dig holes for themselves on their own, uniting 5-12 individuals in one team or reclaiming ready-made ones. They are mostly nocturnal, leaving their shelter in the evening at dusk. They feed on herbs growing around, fruits and berries.

Guinea pigs eat grass, fruits, berries

During the barrack period, couples are not created. Pregnancy in a female lasts 60-70 days. Within a few hours after birth, babies move independently. Mom feeds them for a month and young animals are ready for independent life, and the female mates again and bears new rodents.

Guinea pigs breed all year round. Their main food is always available, they are not in large areas of their residence.

There are many enemies in rodents, therefore, despite the large number of offspring, the number is stable, does not increase. Domesticated animals, under the protection of man and in the presence of food, quickly increase in numbers and grow. Already in 2 months they reach the size of an adult. In addition to grass, they eat grain, vegetables, mixed fodder.

In Peru, some tribes still use guinea pigs for sacrifice. They believe that the gods should be given something pleasant. Their cult forbids killing animals. They domesticated sheep and Kui a long time ago and do not consider them animals, since they grow them themselves.

According to historical sources, from about 1200 CE, until 1532, local aborigines began to select domesticated Kui. So the name of rodents was transformed over time. When the first explorers arrived in America, guinea pigs were bred there by the thousands as a source of tasty meat. The selection was aimed mainly at obtaining larger animals. Now there are breeds whose males weigh up to 4 kg. The color and length of the coat were of secondary importance.

In the first description, guinea pigs were compared to small rabbits. Animals feed on grass, have tender meat, similar to rabbit and chicken at the same time. Males weigh 1 - 1.5 kg, females are smaller, up to 1.2 kg. The length of Kui is 25 - 35 cm. The first name for animals in Europe was given to the Indian rabbit. Then, together with India, America was a colony of England and did not have its own separate name.

The first name of a rodent in Europe - Indian rabbit

When traders brought in rodents, they were examined and given the scientific name Cavia porcellus, which means small pig. The second meaning of Cavia comes from the modified cabiai - the name of the Galibi tribe.

Why are guinea pigs called that? Their body structure is very similar to a pig. Lack of a distinct neck and large head. Animals live in pens for pigs, they are also not demanding in food and chew all day. At the same time, they make sounds similar to the contented grunting of real pigs. If disturbed, they scream loudly like pigs.

Butchered carcasses of guinea pigs differ from young piglets only in paws. Cooked on a spit, they are very similar to little piglets. Currently, 65 million kui are eaten in Peru per year. A local diet dish is also served in restaurants in Ecuador and Brazil.

Kui guinea pigs are eaten in Peru, Ecuador, Brazil

In Europe, funny and cute rodents without a tail became pets, first among the courtiers, then among the middle strata of the population. Now they are ubiquitous as pets, especially buy them for children. Queen Elizabeth had Guinea pigs.

There are several hypotheses why a guinea pig is called a guinea pig. They were born in different parts of Europe and it is possible that everyone has a right to exist, as a variant of the name of the pig. Moreover, all options refer to different areas, but about the same time - the 17th century. Scientists do not refute any of them as untenable. They also cannot single out the only true one.

Catholic version of the name

The simplest hypothesis, why the guinea pig was called a guinea pig, is explained by the gluttony of Catholic priests and refers to the southern regions of Europe.

Simultaneously with guinea pigs, the largest capybara rodents were brought from Brazil. They lead a semi-aquatic lifestyle and eat only grass. Capybaras reach at the withers up to 60 cm and can weigh more than 60 kg. It's like a big sheepdog. They spend a lot of time swimming and resting in shallow water. Large rodents belong to the mumps family, have tender meat.

Copybara, the largest rodent in the world, was brought from Brazil at the same time as pigs.

Catholic priests attributed Capybara and Guinea pigs - as they called then marine, to fish. This allowed them to eat their meat during fasting.

Russian version

Rodents came to the territory of Russia under the name Guinea pig. The name itself has had several interpretations.

1. Pigs were imported from Guinea.
2. They were sold for 1 guinea.
3. At that time, Guinea denoted everything that was brought from across the sea, and it was marvelous for the locals. Only sailors knew where the country was located and what it looked like with outlandish plants and fruits.

Gradually, in Russia, animals began to be called the Overseas pig. Over time, the pretext disappeared, and the name Morskaya remained.

port option

Sailors, making a long journey, took provisions with them. The British, who often had to fall into the fog, used pigs as sirens. The animal is able to scream piercingly for hours and not lose its voice. This made it possible to avoid collisions of ships when nothing was visible. The rest used the omnivorous unpretentious animal as a food supply. Then chickens lived in the hold, sometimes cows. There were no refrigerators, meat, milk, eggs were kept alive and freshly laid.

Guinea pigs can scream for hours without losing their voice, so sailors used them as sirens.

Traveling to America, sailors released guinea pigs back into the pig pens. They made similar sounds and behaved like piglets, quickly multiplied and grew. Many people liked the tender meat. The rodents tolerated rolling well and did not come into conflict with ship rats. They were then called mainly Indian pigs.

So sea travelers got their name in the ports of the Mediterranean Sea and became Guinea pigs.

Linguistic hypothesis

Why scientists named the guinea pig. The name Cavia porcellus has been translated into various languages ​​in Europe. Wherever the cute animal came as a pet and entertainment, its name was pronounced in the local way. In Poland it became Swinka morska.

This is another hypothesis for the appearance of the name of the rodent. Given that the pig swims well, the name is quite justified.

domestic guinea pigs

In Europe, guinea pigs are kept exclusively as decorative pets. The animal is sociable and playful, lives on average 8 years. Already at the age of 2 months, the rodents are ready for breeding, but this moment should be postponed until the female reaches the year. So that the guinea pig does not get bored, there should be several of them. The optimal amount for one large cage per 1 male is 2-3 females. If the animal is alone, it must be provided.

There should be hay in the cage all year round. Animals chew it all day long. They not only eat, but at the same time grind down the teeth that grow constantly in rodents. In addition to dry grass, they should be given:

• cereal grains;
• carrot;
• Apple;
• cucumber;
• beets;
• fruits;
• branches of fruit trees.

Guinea pigs love cereal grains