What do you really know about Guinea Pigs
How many times I wonder have you visited with a friend or relative only to find one of their children enthusiastically dragging you out to the back yard to see their new guinea pig, and then left you wondering how much or how little you know about these animals?
They are adorable creatures that make excellent pets, but they have not always been a family pet, so what is their history and where were they first discovered?
Well let me shock you by firstly saying that they are actually rodents, and are technically known as Cavies, but don’t let all this put you off, please read on.
These delightful animals have been around for millions of years, and we know this because of fossilised remains that have been uncovered and it is only relatively recently that they have become a family pet.
Those same fossils indicate that the guinea pig used to be much larger than it is today, anything up to 9 feet long.
Now where do they come from? Well they originated in South America, and were first domesticated by the Incas. They were both a religious Icon, and sadly a source of food, and this is still the case even today in parts of Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador.
In many parts of Peru they are thought very highly of because of their apparent ability to heal the sick and bring comfort and solace to the dying as they move into the next life.
The guinea pig first arrived in Europe and America as a result of sailors bringing them there to sell for one guinea, and this is how they got their name.
The second part of their name, pig, comes from their likeness, at the rear end, to pigs, and also to the fact that they tend to squeal a bit like pigs.
One of their claims to fame is that they have been popular in the field of research and who I wonder has never heard the expression ‘being a guinea pig’?
Medical science has benefited greatly from the use of guinea pigs in their laboratories but of course although they have saved many a human life, the cost in the lives of the guinea pigs has been high.
Even today they are still used for research but in a more humane way which we are told does not cause any distress to the animal.
Have you ever thought of giving a guinea pig as a present to somebody? Well that’s what they do in many parts of South America and it is considered to be a present that impresses the receiver.
Isn’t it amazing that what is in effect a rodent could become such a popular pet? During a recent survey it was found that guinea pigs came just fourth in popularity behind dogs, cats and rabbits.
Next time you look into a friends cage at their pet I think you will appreciate all the more what you are looking at.
