Adorable and surprisingly affectionate, Guinea pigs are popular pets that build bonds with their owners. Also known as cavies, they originated in the grassy plains and semi-arid deserts of the Andes. They can be fascinating to watch and enjoy human contact and so can be excellent pets.
There’s more to guinea pigs than you might think and here are 40 fun facts which will help you to understand these charming creatures.
- The scientific name for the guinea pig is Cavia porcellus which means little pig
- Queen Elizabeth I owned a guinea pig and helped popularize them as pets
- Guinea pigs live in social groups which are called herds
- When kept as pets, guinea pigs need lots of attention
- They were domesticated as early as 5000BC in South America
- These animals are sensitive to loud noises
- When a guinea pig stretches out, it is showing that it feels relaxed
- Guinea pigs are active by day and less so after dark
- As they love grooming themselves and each other, they are very clean animals
- You can expect a guinea pig to live between 4 and 7 years
- The oldest recorded guinea pig, called Snowball, lived to the age of 14 years, 10 months
- Guinea pigs are herbivores which live mainly on grass and hay
- They can make a lot of noise!
- Guinea pigs can squeal, chirp and purr
- Some guinea pig vocalizations are ultrasonic and above 20,000 Hz
- When they are really happy, cavies jump up and down and this behaviour is known as pop corning
- There are three types of guinea pig; the English, the Abyssinian and the Peruvian
- Abyssinian guinea pigs have wiry coats with swirls
- Peruvian guinea pigs have long silky hair
- Despite their name, they are not from Guinea
- These pets rarely bite
- They are happiest when kept in pairs or groups
- A female guinea pig is called a sow
- A male guinea pig is called a boar
- Baby guinea pigs are not called piglets, they are called pups
- Guinea pigs can’t produce vitamin C and so need this vitamin in their diet
- Their teeth keep growing throughout their lives and so they must gnaw on things to wear them down
- Guinea pigs don’t tend to get on well with rabbits
- They scent mark things by rubbing their cheeks or chin over them
- Guinea pigs only sleep for short periods
- They are active for up to 20 hours each day
- They are most active at dawn and dusk
- Guinea pigs have four toes on their front feet but only three toes on their back feet
- They are not very agile and can only climb shallow ramps
- Female cavies must give birth before they are 6 months old or their public bones will fuse
- There’s a shop in Japan which sells guinea pig clothing
- Josephoartigasia monesi, an ancestor of the guinea pig, was 5 ft tall
- Guinea pigs have weak spines and so cannot tolerate leads and harnesses
- Guinea pigs are allergic to penicillin
- Cavies have higher body temperatures than people and so don’t tolerate heat well
If you are thinking about getting a guinea pig or you have recently brought one, take a look at our how to guide for information on how to adopt and care for a guinea pig.