These cute and furry friends are very tame because of their domestication in 5,000 B.C. Even though they are a domestic animal the Guinea pig can still be a bit feisty sometimes.
Size
They can range from a whopping 8-10 inches (20-25 centimetres) in length and 25-39 ounces (0.7-1.1 kilograms) in weight.
Location
Guinea pigs have spread completely across the globe as very popular pets. Before they were domesticated they could be found in the Andes Mountains, from Peru all the way to Argentina and could be found at heights of up to 4.2 kilometres.
Guinea Pig Population
Domestically, their population is estimated to be 30 million individuals which would make them least concern. But sadly in the wild there is no longer any existing populations.
Caviidae Family Group
The domestic guinea pig is part of the Caviidae family group. It shares its family group with capybaras, cavies and maras which are all types of large rodent. It is the only species that does not exist in the wild.
Diet
They are adapted to eat herbs and grasses of the montane otherwise known as mountain meadow. As pets they are normally fed lettuce, cucumber, cabbage, grasses and hay.
Predators
Even at home, if left at night in a run or hutch they can be a small snack for many predators. Foxes, birds of prey, wild and domestic cats even a rather large and hungry rat can snack on guinea pigs left at night.
Fun Facts
Did you that a guinea pig can be active for as many as 20 hours a day. So if you don’t wake up on time I would definitely not advise getting one of these cute and curious rodents.
My pets
My pet guinea pigs are called Wiggle, Pickle and Squeak. I adore watching them eat in the morning and afternoon and having strokes and cuddles with them. My guinea pigs live in a heated outbuilding but sometimes go out on the grass in the Summer to have a run around or go into the kitchen in Winter.
For more mammals check out my Amur Tiger post
