Guinea pigs are often compared to other common house pets like hamsters and gerbils, but they really are unique pets to own. Whether you’re a new guinea pig owner or an experienced one, guinea pigs are full of surprises when it comes to understanding their history, behaviors, and care. Chances are, you don’t know everything about your fuzzy little family member. Want to test your guinea pig knowledge? Read on for some interesting facts about guinea pigs you may have missed.
1. Guinea Pigs Aren’t pigs: They’re Rodents
While their name may suggest otherwise, guinea pigs are not descendants of the beloved farm animal. Guinea pigs are actually rodents like chinchillas. There’s a lot of history behind the name guinea pig for this popular household pet, but the most basic understanding of the origin of the guinea pig’s name comes from their unique noises. The distinct guinea pig “wheek” closely resembles the oinks and squeals that can be heard from pigs and piglets.
Despite their “guinea” name, before becoming domesticated, guinea pigs were actually native to South America and not Africa. Found most frequently in Peru and the Andes, they were raised as a food source. However, they have since become popular domesticated pets in many parts of the world, including North America, the UK, and Europe.
2. Guinea Pigs Only Have 3 Toes on Their Back Feet
Guinea pigs have many quirks about their appearance that make them truly special. Along with having no tail—something that’s quite out of the ordinary to many other small animals—they have an odd number of toes. A guinea pig’s front feet typically have four toes, while their back feet have only three.
3. Guinea Pigs Are Experts on Naps
To stay healthy, a guinea pig needs about four to six hours of sleep per day. Sounds pretty normal, right? What makes guinea pigs’ sleep patterns interesting is how they get their sleep. Rather than sleeping for extended periods, they accumulate their four to six hours through short naps that last anywhere from a couple of minutes to half an hour at a time.
Your piggies’ sleep patterns come from their history of being prey animals. As a result, they have evolved to remain alert at all times, thus perfecting the power nap! Similarly, they are neither strictly nocturnal nor diurnal. While some piggies may adapt slightly to activity levels and habits in their households, most guinea pigs will be active throughout the day and night.
4. Guinea Pigs Have Helped Save Humans
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Have you ever heard the term “guinea pig” used to describe someone testing something out? That’s because guinea pigs have historically been a popular choice for animal testing. In fact, they played a pivotal role in the development of vaccines for TB and diphtheria.
Part of the importance of guinea pigs in medical research relates to their immune systems. Guinea pig immune systems are more similar to human immune systems than those of other commonly used research animals like mice. This is partially due to their need for supplementary vitamin C, something humans also require for optimal health.
5. Eating Their Poop is Important to Their Health
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While it may be off-putting when you first notice your guinea pig eating their poops, it’s actually healthy behavior! Coprophagy is the scientific term for this act, which helps guinea pigs derive essential nutrients from the food they eat. This is common in herbivores and can be seen in other common household animals, such as rabbits. Guinea pigs who don’t engage in coprophagy may show signs of illness such as weight loss, lethargy, and low levels of important vitamins and minerals.
6. Guinea Pig Teeth Grow Continuously
Just like humans, it’s common for pets to require regular nail and hair trims due to growth. However, what sets guinea pigs apart from most other small animals is that their teeth continuously grow. Rather than having multiple sets of teeth (baby and adult) like humans or dogs, guinea pig teeth grow constantly throughout their lives. This is what makes a healthy diet and proper cage setup essential to their well-being.
Your piggies need unlimited access to timothy hay and other means of maintaining their teeth. Things like wood chews, pellets, and hay wear down their teeth, keeping them healthy. Without access to these food sources and chews, teeth may overgrow and require trimming by your vet. Signs of overgrown teeth include your guinea pig refusing food, drooling, and signs of pain or lethargy.
7. Guinea Pigs are Well Developed at Birth
As prey animals, guinea pigs are born highly developed and ready for action! Newborn guinea pigs have fur and teeth and can see immediately after birth. They can also run and walk within minutes and will be capable of eating an adult diet in a day or so. These features and behaviors originally helped increase their odds of survival in the wild.
8. They Produce Their Own Shampoo
If you’ve ever noticed a white substance coming from your guinea pig’s eyes, don’t be alarmed! This milky substance is a cleaning fluid that your guinea pig will use to maintain their fur. You may notice them rubbing their eyes and bodies after this substance is produced; it’s just a sign of them bathing themselves, and thus a healthy piggie.
9. Happy Piggies Popcorn
One of the things guinea pig owners love most about their piggies is their unique behavior. This includes “popcorning,” an aptly named behavior that guinea pigs exhibit when happy. Popcorning is when your guinea pig makes small, quick jumps in succession like popcorn kernels popping. It’s most commonly seen when your piggies get floor time, a clean cage, or a top-up of their favorite foods.
10. They’re Related to the Capybara
You may have heard of guinea pigs referred to as “cavies.” This is because they are members of the Caviidae family of rodents native to South America. You might be able to see the resemblance, but other notable members of this family of rodents include the capybara. Despite their similar features, it can be hard to believe that guinea pigs, who weigh an average of 1-3 lbs., can be so closely related to capybaras, who weigh 60–174 lbs. However, both guinea pigs and capybaras also share similar gentle temperaments, are social creatures, and are herbivores.
