50 Fun Facts About Guinea Pigs From Squeaks and Nibbles

Want to search out out extra about one of the best pets on the planet? Then take a look at our high 50 enjoyable information about guinea pigs!

Guinea pigs make nice pets because of their variety, pleasant natures. Not to say being low upkeep and completely lovely.

But guinea pigs usually are not simply cute and cuddly.

They get pleasure from an interesting historical past together with distinctive traits and options.

Here you’ll be able to uncover 50 enjoyable information about guinea pigs that may completely amaze you!

Guinea pig information

Have you ever questioned the place guinea pigs got here from or how they obtained their unusual identify?

Read on to search out out and study 50 enjoyable information about guinea pigs!

One
Originally from the Andes, guinea pigs had been domesticated way back to 5000 B.C. by the Incas, as a supply of meals in South America.

Two

It is unsure the place the identify “guinea” got here from, as they don’t seem to be from Guinea. There are, nonetheless, a number of theories together with:

They got here from an space in South America known as Guianas, which result in an alteration within the identify
They travelled to Europe through Guinea
When guinea pigs arrived in England, the phrase “guinea” was slang for “strange.” As no person had seen this species earlier than they had been named “strange pig!”

Three

They usually are not associated to pigs however are rodents. They are, although, like a small pig with a big head, stout neck, rounded rump and no tail, plus they squeal like one!

Four

They are sometimes often called ‘cavies’ from their scientific identify of Cavia Porcellus, which is Latin for ‘little pig’.

Five

A male is known as a boar; females are sows and infants are known as pups.

Six

Guinea pigs develop till they’re fourteen months previous and measure between 20 to 30 cm lengthy and weigh about one kg.

Seven

Guinea pigs have fourteen toes – 4 within the entrance and three on the again.

That’s numerous claws to clip!

Eight

Guinea pigs have a excessive physique temperature starting from 99 to 103° F, so can not address sizzling environments and can shortly overheat.

Nine

All breeds of guinea pigs have 5 various kinds of hair that make up their coat.

Ten

Guinea pigs are wonderful swimmers, however will solely swim if mandatory as most dislike the water.

Eleven

A guinea pig has 258 bones of their physique, whereas a human has 206.

Twelve

The common lifespan of a guinea pig is between 5 and eight years previous. The world’s oldest guinea pig was known as Snowball from Nottinghamshire in England. He was age 14 years and 10.5 months when he died in February 1979.

Guinea pig information for youths

Next in our checklist of 50 enjoyable information about guinea pigs, let’s have a look at some cute guinea pig information for youths!

Thirteen

In 2012, a guinea pig named Truffles leapt into the document books for the world’s longest leap by clearing 30cm in Scotland. He beat the document holder, Diesel, by greater than 9cm! His leap measured 20.5cm in 2009.

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Fourteen

The world’s quickest guinea pig is the aptly named, Flash, who outran 9 different cavies, clocking a formidable time of 8.81 seconds over 10 meters (32.81 toes) in 2009.

Fifteen

A guinea pig named Puckel Martin, recorded the best leap of 20cm on March 16, 2003, in Sweden.

Sixteen

Guinea pigs have a “happy dance” known as popcorning, whereby they run backwards and forwards, then leap into the air kicking their legs out!

The guinea pig resembles a popcorn leaping out of a pan, therefore the identify. Other names embody pronking and pogoing.

Seventeen

Guinea pigs are extraordinarily vocal and have a broad vary of sounds which embody purring, whining, shrieking, cooing, rumbling, hissing and enamel chattering.

These are all indications as to how it’s feeling.

Eighteen

Guinea pigs solely sleep for about 4 hours throughout a 24- hour interval and often nap from between 20 seconds to 6 minutes.

They largely sleep with their eyes open in case of predators.

Nineteen

The first guinea pig astronaut flew with the Soviet launched, Korabi-Sputnik 4, on March ninth, 1961, beating the primary human astronaut by 34 days

Twenty

Guinea pigs produce a white liquid from their eyes that they use to scrub themselves – it’s like their very personal physique wash!

Twenty-One

Imagine having a pet guinea pig that was ten toes lengthy, 5 toes excessive had eight-inch enamel and weighed a tonne!

Scientists have found fossils from 8 million years in the past, of an ancestor of the guinea pig, Josephoartigasia monesi, that’s thought-about the biggest rodent ever.

Fun information about guinea pigs

But we’re not accomplished but! Here are much more enjoyable information about guinea pigs!

Twenty-Two

Guinea pigs have numerous names in numerous nations so in all probability endure from an id disaster! These embody:

Germany: meerschweinchen – “little sea pigs.”
(*50*): porchitas da India – “little pigs from India.”
Spain: conjillo de Indias – “little rabbits of India.”
China: túnshŭ – “pig mouse.”

Twenty-Three

Every 12 months in Huacho, Peru, there’s a guinea pig pageant. The guinea pigs are dressed up in cute little Peruvian outfits, with a prize for one of the best dressed.

The guinea pigs are pampered all day and given a giant feast……then cooked and eaten afterwards, the place there may be even a prize for the tastiest! Eek!

Twenty-Four

Around 65 million guinea pigs are eaten yearly in Peru.

Apparently, the style is a cross between a rabbit and darkish rooster meat and tends to be powerful and stringy.

However, it’s a wholesome meat as it’s low in fats and excessive in protein. Crucially, it additionally an inexpensive, sustainable, and environmentally pleasant manner for households to safe sufficient meals.

Twenty-Five

Continuing the culinary theme…. The guinea pig is cooked full and could be baked, fried or roasted…. And a lot of folks eat the entire animal, from head to toe!

Twenty-Six

Guinea pigs are herd animals so ought to all the time be stored with at the very least one different. In Switzerland, it’s unlawful to personal only one, and they actually have a rent-a-guinea-pig service ought to one in all the one you love pets cross away and a companion is required!

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Twenty-Seven

Diana, Princess of Wales, as soon as gained a prize for “best-kept guinea pig” at college for her pet, Peanuts, and the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, revealed how she and her sister, Pippa, had been nicknamed Pip and Squeak at college, after the pet guinea pigs!

Twenty-Eight

In Japan, there may be a web based retailer known as Guinea Pig Fashion that produces trendy garments and equipment for cavies.

They have every little thing from tank tops, hats, clothes, tiaras, tuxedos, wedding ceremony robes and hair extensions!

Twenty-Nine

Guinea pig web sensation, Fuzzberta, had 168,000 followers on Instagram! She was well-known for modelling outfits made by the proprietor, Monica Lu.

Costumes included Princess Lea and Harry Potter.

Interesting information about guinea pigs

Continuing alongside the highway to 50 enjoyable information about guinea pigs – we now have some actually attention-grabbing guinea pig information.

Thirty

Studies reveal that kids with autism have a noticeable discount in stress ranges when interacting with guinea pigs.

Thirty-One

Queen Elizabeth, I, owned a guinea pig and helped promote the species as a pet in Great Britain.

Thirty-Two

Guinea pigs have twenty enamel, that are “open-rooted,” which means they constantly develop.

The hay of their weight-reduction plan is important for grinding their enamel down so that they don’t get overly lengthy.

They may also be given picket blocks to chew on.

Thirty-Three

Guinea pigs have white enamel, in contrast to different rodents which have yellow enamel.

Thirty-Four

There are three classes of guinea pigs – long-haired, short-haired and hairless.

Baby guinea pig information

Thirty-Five

Baby guinea pigs can open their eyes whereas nonetheless of their mom’s womb, 14 days earlier than they’re born.

Thirty-Six

Pups are born with their eyes open, have all their fur, can drink from a water bottle, eat hay and run at only a few hours previous!

Thirty-Seven

By three weeks previous, you need to wean younger guinea pigs, as males can impregnate a feminine, who can turn out to be pregnant at 4 weeks previous.

Guinea pig breeding information

The subsequent step in our favourite 50 enjoyable information about guinea pigs? Guinea pig breeding information!

Thirty-Eight

When a male guinea pig is attempting to courtroom a feminine, he’ll do what is known as “rumble strutting.”

He will make a “rumble” sound whereas “strutting” his hips and have raised or puffy hair.

Thirty-Nine

A feminine guinea pig who has no real interest in the male’s try and woo her will squirt a jet of urine at him!

Forty

A feminine guinea pig is pregnant for between 59 and 72 days.

Forty-One

The common litter dimension for a guinea pig is about two to 4 pups. The largest litter recorded was 17.

Forty-Two

After the age of eight months, it’s harmful for a feminine guinea pig to turn out to be pregnant for the primary time, because the pelvic bones fuse collectively. As a end result, she might be unable to ship usually and require a caesarean part.

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Wild guinea pig information

Our beautiful guinea pigs are very a lot domesticated.

But do you know they’ve some fascinating wild ancestors?

Forty-Three

Domestic guinea pigs are now not within the wild, however there are different guinea pigs present in rocky areas, grassland and forests in South America.

These species embody the Brazilian guinea pig, the shiny guinea pig and the Montane guinea pig. The guinea pig often called Moleques do Sul, is a critically endangered species, with lower than 60 remaining.

Forty-Four

Wild guinea pigs stay in teams of between 5 and ten and inhabit burrows made by different animals to guard themselves from predators.

Guinea pig weight-reduction plan information

Feeding your guinea pig the fitting weight-reduction plan is important. Next to return in our 50 enjoyable information about guinea pigs are some nice weight-reduction plan suggestions.

Forty-Five

Guinea pigs are grazing animals so will eat recurrently all through the day. Their weight-reduction plan ought to include grass, hay, pellets and greens.

Like us, they can not produce vitamin c, so fruit and greens needs to be given or a complement.

Forty-Six

Don’t be involved in case your pet cavy eats his poop! It is completely pure and comprises nutritional vitamins B and Okay, important for good well being.

Forty-Seven

Food that’s unsuitable for guinea pigs embody potatoes, beans, iceberg lettuce, dairy merchandise, meat and fish, nuts, seeds and chocolate.

Guinea pig historical past information

But what concerning the guinea pigs of the previous? Let’s take a look at guinea pig historical past within the final of our 50 enjoyable information about guinea pigs!

Forty-Eight

The Moche folks of northern Peru worshipped guinea pigs. Archaeologists have unearthed scores of statues and figures of guinea pigs initially utilized in ceremonies.

Forty-Nine

For hundreds of years and even immediately, guinea pigs help within the therapeutic of the sick within the Andes. The guinea pig is rubbed everywhere in the physique of the affected person and will squeal on the affected space.

Fifty

Since the 1800s, guinea pigs had been experimental animals, used for medical analysis. Scientists found guinea pigs had organic similarities to people which result in the invention of vaccines for ailments comparable to diphtheria.

The time period “guinea pig” (which means an individual or animal used as an experimental topic) got here from the in depth experimenting on guinea pigs and initially coined by George Bernard Shaw.