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Why is the guinea pig called that? Why is the guinea pig called a guinea pig and where did it come from? guinea pig scientific name

Like many other animals, the guinea pig is called differently in different countries. So, in England, this rodent is called Indian little pig - "small Indian pig", restless cavy - "mobile pig", guinea pig - "Guinea pig" and domestic cavy - "domestic pig". And in the dialect of the indigenous inhabitants of South America, the guinea pig is called "cavy".

As for the origin of the English name guinea pig, it is most likely due to the way the Europeans learned about the existence of this rodent. It is probable that the British had more commercial relations with the coasts of Guinea than with South America, and were therefore accustomed to looking upon Guinea as part of India. Although there is another opinion: it is assumed that in Europe, as well as in their homeland, the guinea pig was originally used as food and sold in the markets.

This explains the origin of the English name for the pig - guinea pig, i.e. "pig for a guinea" (the guinea was the main English gold coin until 1816, it was named after the country of Guinea, where the gold necessary for its minting was mined). Some researchers attribute the origin of the name guinea pig to the fact that the word Guinea was used instead of the similar Guiana, since wild guinea pigs were exported from Guiana to Europe.

The inhabitants of the Andes still breed guinea pigs on special farms and eat their meat for food.

The Spaniards living in America call this rodent a little rabbit, while other colonists continue to call it a little pig, that is, they use the name that was brought to Europe along with the animal. By the way, a guinea pig is called a small rabbit because before the Europeans appeared in America, this rodent served as food for the native Indians and all Spanish writers of that time mention it as a rabbit.

More than 67 million domestic guinea pigs live on animal farms in Peru. They provide more than 17,000 tons of nutritious meat per year. The Indians of the high Andes have been suppliers of guinea pig meat for centuries. It is highly valued in many countries and has a number of dietary and gastronomic qualities.

In France, the guinea pig is called cochon d'Inde - "Indian pig", and in Spain - Cochinillo das India - "Indian pig". The Italians and Portuguese also call this rodent the Indian pig - porcella da India and Porguinho da India - however, like the Dutch, in whose language the animal is called Indiaamsoh varken. In Belgium, the guinea pig is called cochon des montagnes - "mountain pig", and in Germany - Meerschweinchen, i.e. "guinea pig".

Given all of the above, we can assume that the guinea pig spread in Europe from west to east, and the name that exists in Russia and Germany - "guinea pig" - most likely indicates that the pigs were brought from across the sea (apparently , at first they were called overseas, and then marine).

If you decide to buy yourself a pet rodent, you should come to the pet store or the bird market, which is not there. Among the huge variety of rats, mice, hamsters, eyes run wide, who is better to choose.

For lovers of active animals, a chinchilla hamster is the best choice. And if you need a more balanced rodent, opt for guinea pigs. These calm, neat animals that do not gnaw on people will live with you for several years, and will give you many unforgettable and joyful memories.

Description and features of the guinea pig

Guinea pigs, and therefore marine, as they came to us from abroad. It would be correct to call them overseas, even overseas, because they were brought from the distant American continent. Residents of Europe call them in their own way - Indian and Guinean, as well as mouse pigs.

Mammals belong to a species domestic maritime pigs, a group of rodents. In the American South, the homeland of marine rodents, where they just do not live, in swampy areas, foothills, plains and forests.

These rodents, in the wild, live in a group of twenty individuals, and the leader is always at the head of the family. Everyone respects and fears him, and in response he actively defends his flock and territory.

Because the main one is the one who is larger and stronger than the rest of the pigs. All day long, these defenseless animals hide in shelters, and at night they get out of them and go looking for themselves, something to eat. In the natural environment, the number of overseas pigs is quite large, because the animals breed all year round.

These animals have lived on our planet for many thousands of years. During excavations, archaeologists have repeatedly found ancient drawings with their image, and mummified remains. The people who lived at that time bred and kept them in order to eat them later, because the meat guinea pigs dietary, it was equated to the meat of birds or rabbits.

In the eighteenth century, the rodent reached Russia, but already as a decorative, funny pet. These animals have a plump, neat and compact body, thirty centimeters long.

There is no tail at all, the paws are tiny in size, with well-defined thin fingers, the hind limbs are slightly larger than the front ones. The muzzle of the pigs is large with a blunt nose, their ears are small, in their shape they are erect or slightly drooping, depending on what breed the animal is. Adult males weigh a little more than one kilogram, smaller females - 800 grams.

Breeders have bred dozens of different breeds of domestic marine rodents. Outwardly, they are all the same, and only the color, length and stiffness of their fur coat can distinguish them from each other. look a photo the most common breeds maritime pigs.

In pigs with smooth and short hair, the coat is spotted, or two or three colors. Rodents of these breeds are called - Self, Satin, Himalayan, Agouti, Chalay. They come in only three colors - red, black and brown with a pleasant to the touch, soft pile. Wire-haired pigs with short tousled hair are called Rex.

There are very unusual, different pets, their breed also has an interesting name - Rosette, they have nothing to do with electricity. Although after an electric shock, the wool would probably look like this.

The pile lies as if someone pressed it, randomly turned it to the sides, and fixed it. American and English Cresteds wear a woolen rosette in the middle of their foreheads. Ridgebacks have a rosette on the sacrum, and in the middle of the back, a mound of wool sticks out. Well, in the first place are the Abyssinians, their sockets are located randomly throughout the body.

The longest-haired of all types of guinea pigs are Cornet and Sheltie. Their pile, growing in the direction from the muzzle to the end of the body, is beautifully divided into both sides by a parting on the back. In Peru, on the contrary, the fur coat is worn back to front, hanging over the eyes. Alpaco, Textel and Merino have not only long, but also beautifully curled coats.

Very rare and uncommon breeds maritime pigs, such as Kui are distinguished by the fact that they are vylik compared to their counterparts. Galloway is a new species of sea pigs, they were recently noticed and officially recognized.

They are of an interesting color, the whole body is black, and only its middle is surrounded by a wide white belt, this feature distinguishes them from all other relatives. Skinny pigs - these little animals wear wool only on their small paws and the tip of their nose.

The rest of the body is hairless, and even transparent. Baldwin's offspring are born with wool, but during the period of growing up, it falls out. And already formed, fully developed overseas animal is completely bald.

Guinea pig at home

These crumbs are the sweetest creatures and when compared with all animals that belong to the rodent family, they are the least biting. in good and favorable home, guinea pigs very affectionate, trusting and quiet.

They are not noisy at all, they will not run for hours in a drum, like hamsters. Maritime pigs can be filmed without problems video for home viewing, you do not have to run around the room with a camera or crawl under the sofa.

Climbing to the surface where you place it, it will examine the indoor attractions with surprise and curiosity. Then businesslike, slowly going to look for something. Make sure that when looking for something, your pet does not find an electrical wire.

She happily climbs into the arms of her master, and begins to purr. But you have to be careful, otherwise falling from a height, the animal can be severely injured.

AT home content maritime pigs know that they yearn alone and need company, so it's best to take a couple with you. And one more thing, pigs are shy and from loud sounds and sudden movements they can even die of fear.

Despite the fact that the animals are nocturnal, they will not disturb your sleep and peace in any way. In the dark, they have only one concern - to eat well.

Be observant and attentive to your pet, because if the pig gets into a stressful situation, or she has depression, she starts to overeat, which is fraught with obesity.

Guinea pig price

Buying a guinea pig in the nursery, you must understand that its cost will be too high. Pigs are prolific animals, so you can buy them without any problems from a neighbor in the landing, and from a granny in the market, and from a classmate at school.

By purchasing maritime pig in nursery, you will be fully acquainted with the history of her family. Because siblings will have weak and sickly offspring.

The cost of pigs depends on age and breed. Not expensive, around three hundred rubles, there are simple short-haired pigs. Sockets will already be more expensive, from five hundred and above. Well, the most expensive breeds of these rodents are long-haired pigs and Baldwins. Their price range is from one and a half to two thousand rubles.

pet care

In the care and maintenance of a guinea pig you won't have any difficulty. All she needs is a light, wide cage. It is important here that it be a cage, not a glass jar or a spacious terrarium, because in such containers the animal overheats and dies.

Be sure to buy and put a wooden house in a cage, your pet should have its own shelter. A drinking bowl with clean water, a feeder, it’s good if the food plate is ceramic, not plastic, and a hay fixture.

At the bottom cells for guinea pig there must be a filler, you can use sawdust, though there will be a lot of garbage from them. Or you can buy wood pellets at the pet store, they are not expensive and are perfect for your pet, because they can still be chewed.

courting behind guinea pig, so that unpleasant odors do not bring discomfort to your home, change the filler at least once a week. Guinea pigs are neat, so they go to the toilet in the same place.

You need to clean your plate of food every day so that the smell from yesterday's apple does not spoil your air. Keep an eye on your pet's claws and cut them with special scissors during them.

The cage with your pet must be installed in the right place so that there is no draft or hot sun, because these conditions are detrimental to guinea pigs. Also, it is desirable that the cage with the animal does not stand on the floor, choose a place for it so that the pig sees both its owner and what is happening around it.

Feed your guinea pig mainly on hay, supplemented with small amounts of dried vegetables and fruits, or purchase a balanced diet from the pet store.

Do not give them citrus fruits, otherwise you will not be able to understand later, why maritime piggy got sick. From time to time, put a piece of hard bread or a twig from a tree in the animal's cage to grind down the teeth.

If, when purchasing a female guinea pig, you do not want offspring from her in the future, in this case it is better to immediately sterilize the animal, without sexual intimacy, she develops ovarian disease.

When a couple of guinea pigs live with you in the house, you will soon expect a lot of offspring. When the female is pregnant, it is better to put the male in another cage or make a partition. Two months later, babies will be born, usually up to six of them are born.

The mother will take care of the children and feed them with her milk for a whole month, then they need to be separated. In favorable conditions, with proper maintenance and care guinea pigs live up to eight years old.

Guinea pigs are fluffy, kind harmless creatures with a pleasant smooth coat and an intelligent look. Once in Europe from South America, they quickly spread throughout the world. At one time, the meat of guinea pigs was even eaten. Today, these are pets, the care of which is minimal, but the emotional return is very high. For their warmth and good-natured disposition, pigs are very fond of children. And if you set a goal to breed these animals, you can get up to a hundred cubs a year.

History of guinea pigs

Many people wonder why guinea pigs are called that way. They have nothing to do with the sea or pigs. However, there is a version that they were called marine because the animals spread from west to east, and were brought to Russia by ship. This name came to the Russian language from Germany, while in other countries rodents are called "Indian". And they were called pigs by the Spaniards, who first appeared in Peru and saw animals on the market that, in their opinion, looked like milk pigs. These animals came to Europe in the 16th century, according to one version they were very expensive, and according to another, on the contrary, they were cheap and even used for food. The facts are reliable that many owners in those days lowered poor pigs into water jars and aquariums, assuming that these animals would swim.

Guinea pigs are native to South America. According to scientists, the history of these animals has more than thirty-five million years. The Incas sacrificed animals to the sun god, and some tribes used the meat of pigs for food. Modern pigs in their natural habitat live in marshy lowlands and in rocky places. They are more active at night, going for food. There are different breeds of guinea pigs, each with its own coat type. The most common are American, or short-haired animals, shelties with long hair, coropets with a rosette on their heads, tessels with wavy hair. Each breed is represented by many color variations. Red, yellow, chestnut, apricot, brown and black - the choice of coat color is huge.

Rules for keeping and caring for guinea pigs

All guinea pigs, regardless of breed, are non-aggressive, which is why children love them so much. Animals do not bite, they love affection and attention, they are friendly and quick-witted. You can feed them grass and cheap plant foods. However, like any other animal, guinea pigs also have their drawbacks, such as the presence of a specific smell and the need for careful care if the pet has long hair. But they easily endure separation if the owners suddenly went on vacation and temporarily gave the pet into the wrong hands. Guinea pigs must be kept in specially equipped cages. In the first few days, the animal is likely to hide in a corner and hide under the straw, which is understandable in an unfamiliar environment. Guinea pigs are very shy and quickly panic, so it's worth waiting until the animal gets used to the new home. It will not be long before he begins to recognize his owners, especially those who will feed him.

Do not forget that guinea pigs do not tolerate bathing. Dip them in water only in exceptional cases, using a mild baby shampoo. These animals need to cut their nails regularly, otherwise they begin to grow incorrectly, forming bends and sagging, and sometimes even curls in the form of a corkscrew. Those who are thinking about breeding guinea pigs should keep in mind that these animals are very prolific. Already a month after the birth, the females become sexually mature, and the gestation period for pets is about seventy days. During the year, one female guinea pig can bring up to a hundred cubs. Best of all, two females get along in one cage. They behave calmly, without showing any aggression. But two males will definitely fight, inflicting severe injuries on each other. Of course, a guinea pig requires an attentive attitude and careful care, but in return, she gives warmth and love to those who take care of her.

Anastasia Rylova

The answer to the question why the guinea pig is so called is a subject of interest even for those who are far from breeding these animals. There are several versions of the origin of this name. We present a mini-investigation about guinea pigs: where did this phrase come from, which does not fit with taxonomic definitions - family, genus and species criteria.

The first part of the investigation: why the "mumps"

There are 3 versions of why these cute animals are called pigs:

Sounds: what they make is really like grunting.

Body proportions: they have no waist, small head and very short neck.

Behavior: Pets constantly gnaw something. On ships they were kept in the same pens where ordinary pigs were driven.

Second part. Guinea pig - why "sea"

The name "guinea pig" is borrowed from the Polish language - świnka morska. And the Poles, in turn, borrowed it from the Germans - Meerschweinchen. The literal translation sounds like this - "guinea pig". There is a possibility that this is a German word - a derivative of merswin, which means "dolphin". The screech of rodents really resembles a dolphin's squeak.

Foreign titles

The name of the animal is literally translated from English as Guinea pig. This is another mystery because they have nothing to do with Guinea, which is in Africa. Zoologists have built 3 hypotheses:

“Guinean” means “outlandish”, brought from afar;
it is possible that the animals were sold for 1 guinea - a coin;
in South America there was a French colony with a similar name - Guiana. Love simply mixed up the letters and began to call Guinean pigs;
the animals were not imported directly, but through the ports of Guinea, which was also a colonial territory of France.

Probably, almost every person in childhood was interested in the question: why is the guinea pig called that. It seems to have nothing to do with artiodactyls. And why then the sea? It is unlikely that salt water is her element, and the animal does not seem to be able to swim. There is an explanation, and it is rather prosaic.

To understand why the guinea pig was called a guinea pig, one should turn to history. The Latin name for this funny animal is Cavia porcellus, the pig family. Other name: caywi and guinea pig. By the way, here is another incident that should be dealt with, animals also have nothing to do with Guinea.

These rodents have been known to man since ancient times and were domesticated by the tribes of South America. The Incas and other representatives of the continent ate animals for food. They worshiped them, depicting them on art objects, and also used them as ritual sacrifices. From archaeological excavations in Ecuador and Peru, statues of these animals have survived to this day.

Guinea pigs are so named because their ancestors were used as food.

Furry animals became known to the inhabitants of the European continent in the 16th century after the conquest of Colombia, Bolivia and Peru by the Spanish conquistadors. Later, merchant ships from England, Holland and Spain began to bring unusual animals to their homeland, where they spread among the aristocratic environment as pets.

Where did the name guinea pig come from?

The term cavia in the scientific name is derived from cabiai. So the representatives of the Galibi tribes who lived in the territory of Guiana (South America) called the animal. The literal translation from Latin porcellus means "little pig". In different countries it is customary to call the animal differently. More common is the abbreviated name cavy or kevy, shortened from cavia. At home, they are called kui (gui) and aperea, in the UK - Indian pigs, and in Western Europe - Peruvian.

A wild guinea pig is called "little pig" in Guiana

Why still "marine"?

The animal received such a name only in Russia, Poland (Swinka morska) and Germany (Meerschweinchen). made them frequent companions of sailors. Yes, and animals arrived in Europe at that time only by sea. Probably, for this reason, associations of small rodents with water appeared. As for Russia, such a name was probably borrowed from a Polish name. Such an option is not excluded: overseas, i.e. strange beasts arrived from afar, and subsequently dwindled, discarding the prefix.

There is also such a version: in order to circumvent the ban on eating meat during fasting days, Catholic priests ranked capybaras (capybaras), and at the same time these rodents as fish. It is possible that this is why they were called guinea pigs.

Why pig?

The mention of a pig in the name can be heard from the Portuguese (small Indian pig), the Netherlands (Guinea pig), the French and the Chinese.

The reason for the connection with the known artiodactyl should probably be sought in external similarity. A thick barrel-shaped body on low legs, a short neck and a large head relative to the body resemble a pig. The sounds that the rodent makes can also be associated with the pig. In a calm state, they remotely resemble a grunt, and in case of danger, their whistle is similar to a pig's squeal. Animals are similar in content: both of them are constantly chewing something, sitting in small pens.

The animal is called a pig because of its resemblance to a piglet.

Another reason lies in the culinary habits of the natives in the homeland of animals. Domesticated animals were raised for slaughter, as were pigs. The appearance and taste, reminiscent of a suckling pig, which the first Spanish colonialists recognized, and gave them the opportunity to call the animals that way.

At home, rodents are used for food to this day. Peruvians and Ecuadorians eat them in large quantities, rubbed with spices and salt, and then fried in oil or on coals. And, by the way, the carcass cooked on a spit really looks very similar to a small suckling pig.

The Spaniards called the guinea pig the Indian rabbit.

By the way, these animals are associated in different countries not only with pigs, but also with other animals. In Germany, there is another name merswin (dolphin), probably for similar sounds made. The Spanish name translates as a small Indian rabbit, and the Japanese call them morumotto (from the English "marmot").

Where did the word "Guinean" come from in the name?

Here, too, a strange confusion crept in, because Guinea is in West Africa, and not in South America, where guinea pigs originated.

There are several explanations for this discrepancy:

pronunciation error: Guiana (South America) and Guinea (West Africa) sound very similar. In addition, both territories are former French colonies;
ships that imported animals from Guiana to Europe went through Africa and, accordingly, Guinea;
both "overseas" in Russian, and "guinea" in English, mean in meaning like everything brought from unknown distant countries;
The guinea is a monetary currency for which exotic animals were sold.

Ancestors of guinea pigs and their domestication

Intended and common in South America almost everywhere. They can be found both in the savannas and on the edges of forests, on rocky sections of mountains and even in swampy areas. Often united in groups of up to ten individuals, the animals dig holes for themselves or occupy the dwellings of other animals. They feed exclusively on plant foods, are most active at night and at dusk, and breed all year round. Color gray-brown with a light belly.

The Inca peoples began to domesticate peaceful rodents from about the 13th century. When animals appeared in European countries, at first they were in demand in scientific laboratories for experiments. Nice appearance, good nature and sociability gradually won the attention of connoisseurs. And now these funny little animals are safely settled in homes around the world as beloved pets.

Guinea pigs are diverse

To date, breeders have bred over 20 breeds that differ in a variety of colors, coat structure, length, and even partial or complete absence.

They are usually divided into groups:

long-haired (angora, merino, texels, sheltie, Peruvian and others);
short-haired (cresteds, selfies);
wirehaired (rex, american teddy, abyssinian);
hairless (skinny, baldwin).

In contrast to the natural wild color, now you can find favorites of black, red, white color and all sorts of their shades. From monochromatic colors, breeders brought spotted and even tricolor animals. Long-haired animals with rosette hair look very funny, having a funny disheveled look. , weight varies from 600 to 1500 g. Little pets live from 5 to 8 years.

The ancestors of the guinea pig began to tame

Here are some about the history of guinea pigs and why they are called that. However, an animal with such a cute original appearance and the name should be unusual.