Guinea pig (Cavia porcellus) — species profile (taxonomy, geographic range, habitat, physical description, behavior, wild diet, reproduction, lifespan)
Authoritative first-hand species account (Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan). All bullet facts are verbatim from the cited source and C1-substring verified.
Geographic Range
- Guinea pigs, also known as cavies, no longer exist in the wild.
- Their domestication began around 5,000 B.C., and because of their popularity as pets and food, they are now globally distributed.
- They are indigenous to South America, with fossil records extending as far back as 9,000 B.C..
- Scientists believe that guinea pigs were domesticated from a now extinct wild species that lived in northern and western South America.
Habitat
- Guinea pigs no longer exist in their wild, native, grassland habitat.
- Prior to their extinction, however, they were extremely adaptable and could survive in a variety of environments.
- For example, they can live in a broad range of elevations, from sea level to 4,000 m.
- Although studies have shown that they cannot survive in extreme hot or cold, guinea pigs can tolerate a large range of temperatures, from 22˚C in the daytime to -7˚C at night.
Physical Description
- Guinea pigs are tailless rodents that weigh between 700 g and 1100 g, with males being larger than females.
- They have small, compact, cynlindrically shaped bodies, ranging from 20.3 cm to 25.4 cm in length.
- They have small petal-shaped ears that are laterally positioned at the apex of the head.
- Their eyes are laterally positioned mid-way down the snout, between the ears and nose.
Behavior
- Guinea pigs are gregarious and prefer close contact with other conspecifics.
- They are active during dusk and dawn (crepuscular) and when not sleeping, spend a majority of their time grooming, feeding, or investigating the local environment.
- Male guinea pigs establish social hierarchies in which a single alpha male dominates subordinate males.
- Males are known to be extremely aggressive when competing for territory or potential mates.
- As a result, males are often separated when females are present.
Food Habits (Wild Diet)
- Guinea pigs are strict herbivores and depend on humans for food.
- Domestic guinea pigs are often fed lettuce, cabbage, and various types of grasses and fruit.
- In some cases, barley and "Timothy hay", a wide-spread perennial grass, are grown especially for consumption by domesticated mammalian herbivores such as guinea pigs.
- In more developed areas, they are often fed manufactured feed pellets.
- Feed pellets contain compressed plant material (barley or alfalfa) and many of the vitamins and minerals (e.g., vitamin C) guinea pigs require to stay healthy.
Reproduction
- Guinea pigs no longer exist in the wild, therefore, mating systems in natural environments are unknown.
- In domestic populations, mating is heavily influenced by humans.
- Both monogamous and polygamous systems occur, depending on how animals are housed.
- Prior to mating, males smell a potential mate's genital area and scent mark their mates with urine.
Ecosystem Roles
- Guinea pigs are host to many different parasite species, including mites, ticks, sucking lice, chewing lice, nematodes, and flukes.
- The most common among these are mites and lice, of which only 3 species are capable of breeding and reproducing on domesticated guinea pigs ( Trixacarus caviae , Gliricola porcelli , and Chirodiscoides caviae ).
- The most prevalent of these are mange mites ( T. caviae ), which burrow under the skin.
Predation
- Due to their domestication, guinea pigs are not subject to natural predation.
- Their wild relatives, such as brazilian guinea pigs ( Cavea aperea ), are preyed upon by small ferrets, domestic dogs ( Canis lupus familiaris ), domestic cats ( Felis catus ), coyotes ( Canis latrans ), wolves ( Canis lupus ), owls and some species of hawks.
Conservation Status
- Guinea pigs are extinct in the wild and only live in captivity.
- IUCN Red List Not Evaluated US Federal List No special status CITES No special status State of Michigan List No special status Other Comments There are 13 commonly recognized types or breeds of guinea pig.
- These include the American, American satin, Abyssinian, Abyssinian satin, Peruvian, Peruvian satin, silkie, silkie satin, teddy, teddy satin, texel, coronet and the white crested.
Lifespan
- Guinea pigs can live up to 14 years in captivity, but have an average lifespan of 8 years.