Carnival Cruise Florida - Guinea Pig Facts

Let us take a look at some of the guinea pig facts. Guinea pigs are also kept as pets, apart from the biological experimentation. They are largely replaced by other rodents like rats and mice in medical tests, nowadays. They are often used in medical researches. Guinea pigs are rodents without a tail. And they grunt and squeal like a pig, guinea pigs are short stocky animals.

Facts about Guinea Pigs

They are scientifically called Cavia Porcellus. * There are around nine species of guinea pigs and the domestic guinea pigs are known as Cavia Magna.

Guinea pigs are not pigs but rodents and are not related to the pigs at all. A baby guinea pig is often called pup or piglet. * A male guinea pig is known as a boar and the female guinea pig is known as a sow.

The longest living guinea pig was 15 years old and has its name in the Guinness Book of World Records. On an average they live for about 4 to 5 years. * Guinea pigs are 20 to 25 cm in length and weigh between 700 to 1200 gm.

Where in many parts they are farmed for food, * Guinea pigs have their origination in South America.

When they cannot be spotted easily by the predators, this is the main reason that they are active only during the dawn and dusk period of the day. So they are very cautious in nature, wild guinea pigs are prey to predators. A young guinea pig is able to run when it is only three hours old. * Guinea pigs are wild animals which are most active during the night period.

The dominant boar is the only male that is allowed to breed with the sow (female guinea pig). They live in large groups that are led by a dominant boar. * Guinea pigs belong to the rodent family and are herd animals.

Instead they live in burrows of other animals, guinea pigs do not dig burrows for themselves. The guinea pigs have long colons as compared to other animals of the rodent family, however. Grass eating animals have a long digestive tract, usually. They live on the vegetation around them, they do not store food. * Wild guinea pigs eat grass and hence are mostly found on the grassy plains.

These teeth wear off at their tips and develop a chisel-like edge that is used for gnawing. Which are two top and two bottom front teeth grow life long, only the incisors. Though not all teeth of guinea pigs grow life long, they have teeth which grow throughout their life. Their eyesight is a bit weak, however. Hearing and sound, * Guinea pigs have a good sense of smell.

White or a combination of colors, red, brown, guinea pigs are black. Plump body, and a small, short legs, small ears, the physical features of a guinea pig are a large head. * There are many types of Guinea pigs as mentioned earlier in one of the guinea pig facts.

Guinea pigs are volunteers to take part in a medical test and this is the reason that they are called "guinea pigs". * Many medical researches use guinea pigs for testing.

They always need something to chew because their teeth grow life long. So they must be given fresh fruits and vegetables to eat, guinea pigs are herbivorous animals and do not produce Vitamin C in their body. * Guinea pigs are kept as pet animals by many people.

These were some interesting guinea pig facts. Guinea pigs are highly social creatures and usually at least two Guinea pigs are kept as pets. They must not be kept alone, when guinea pigs are kept as pets.