Hamster Fossil range: Middle Miocene–Recent
Syrian Hamster
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Subphylum:	Vertebrata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Rodentia
Suborder:	Myomorpha
Superfamily:	Muroidea
Family:	Cricetidae
Subfamily:	Cricetinae Fischer de Waldheim, 1817
Genera
Mesocricetus Phodopus Cricetus Cricetulus Allocricetulus Cansumys Tscherskia

Hamsters are rodents belonging to the subfamily Cricetinae. The subfamily contains about 25 species, classified in six or seven genera.^[1]

Hamsters are crepuscular. In the wild, they burrow underground in the daylight to avoid being caught by predators. Their diet contains a variety of foods, including dried food, berries, nuts, fresh fruits and vegetables. In the wild they will eat any wheat, nuts and small bits of fruit and vegetables that they might find lying around on the ground, and will occasionally eat small insects such as small fruit flies, crickets, and meal worms. They have elongated fur-lined pouches on both sides of their heads that extend to their shoulders, which they stuff full of food to be stored, brought back to the colony or to be eaten later.

Although the Golden Hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) was first described scientifically in 1839, it was not until 1930 that researchers were able to successfully breed and domesticate hamsters.^[2] Pet Syrian hamsters are descended from hamsters first found and captured in Syria by zoologist Israel Aharoni.^[3]

Hamster behaviour can vary depending on their environment, genetics, and interaction with people. Because they are easy to breed in captivity, hamsters are often used as lab animals in more economically developed countries. Hamsters have also become established as popular small house pets.^[2]

[edit] Etymology of name

The name hamster derives from the German Hamster, which itself comes from earlier Old High German hamustro. Possibly related to Old Russian choměstrǔ, which is either a blend of the root of Russian khomiak “hamster” and a Baltic word (cf. Lithuanian staras “hamster”)^[4] or of Persian origin (cf. Av hamaēstar “oppressor”)^[5]

[edit] Characteristics

Hamsters are stout-bodied, with tails shorter than body length, and have small furry ears, short stocky legs, and wide feet. Their thick, silky fur, which can be long or short, can be black, gray, honey, white, brown, yellow, or red depending on the species, or a mix of any of those colors.

Roborovski hamster

Two species of hamsters belonging to the genus Phodopus (Phodopus campbelli, Campbell’s Dwarf Hamster, and Phodopus sungorus, the Winter White Russian Dwarf Hamster) and also two of the species of the genus Cricetulus, (Cricetulus barabensis, the Chinese Striped Hamster, and Cricetulus griseus, the Chinese Dwarf Hamster) have a dark stripe down the head to tail. The species of genus Phodopus are the smallest, with bodies 5.5 to 10.5 cm (about 2 to 4 inches) long; the largest is the common hamster (Cricetus cricetus), measuring up to 34 cm (about 13.5 inches) long, not including a short tail of up to 6 cm (2-1/4 inches). The Angora hamster, also known as the long-haired or Teddy Bear hamster, which is a type of the Syrian Hamster is the second largest hamster breed, measuring up to 18 cm (about 7 inches) long.^[2]

Hamsters have poor eyesight; they are nearsighted and colorblind. However, they have an acute sense of smell and can hear extremely well. Hamsters can use their sense of smell to detect gender, locate food, and detect pheremones. They are also particularly sensitive to high-pitched noises and can hear and communicate in the ultrasonic range.^[3]

The tail is sometimes difficult to see; usually it is not very long (about 1/6th the length of their body) with exception of the Chinese dwarf hamster whose tail is the same length as the body. On a long haired hamster it is barely visible. Hamsters are very flexible, and their bones are somewhat fragile. They are extremely susceptible to rapid temperature changes and drafts, as well as extreme heat or cold. Hamsters are hindgut fermenters and must eat their own feces in order to digest their food a second time. This practice is called coprophagy and is necessary for the hamster to obtain the proper nutrients from its food.^[1]

Hamsters are omnivorous. They eat most things, and although they should regularly be given a diet of normal hamster food, it is enjoyable for both the owner and the hamster to experiment with other things, such as vegetables and fruits (though these should be removed once they go rotten or bad) seeds and nuts. The majority of pet-store food and treats for hamsters are not appropriate.

One characteristic of rodents that is highly visible in hamsters is their sharp incisors. They have two pairs in the front of their mouths and these incisors never stop growing and thus must be regularly worn down. Hamsters carry food in their spacious cheek pouches to their underground storage chambers. When full, their cheeks can make their heads double (or even triple) in size.^[1] Hamsters in the Middle East have been known to hunt in packs to find insects for food.^[6]

[edit] Behavior

Golden hamster grooming

Syrian hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) are generally solitary and may fight to the death if put together, whereas some of dwarf hamster species may get along with others of the same species. Hamsters are primarily considered crepuscular because they live underground during most of the day, only leaving their burrows about an hour before sundown and then returning when it gets dark. At one point they were considered nocturnal because they are active all night. Some species have been observed to be more nocturnal than others.^[3] All hamsters are excellent diggers, constructing burrows with one or more entrances and with galleries that are connected to chambers for nesting, food storage, and other activities.^[1] They will also appropriate tunnels made by other mammals; the Winter White Russian Dwarf Hamster (Phodopus sungorus), for instance, uses paths and burrows of the pika. Although hamsters do not hibernate per se, they do “close down” a number of systems, such as breathing and heartbeat rate, for short periods of time. These periods of torpor can last up to seven to ten days. Hamsters are known to stockpile large amounts of food where they sleep, making it possible to leave pet hamsters alone for a few days without food.^[2]

[edit] Reproduction

A mother Syrian Hamster with pups under one week old.

Hamsters become fertile at different ages depending on their species, but this can be from one month to three months of age. The female’s reproductive life only lasts about 18 months, but male hamsters remain fertile much longer. Females are in heat approximately every four days, indicated by a reddening of genital areas.^[2]

Hamsters are seasonal breeders. Breeding season is from April to October in the northern hemisphere, with two to five litters of 1 to 13 young being born after a gestation period of 16 to 23 days.^[6] Gestation lasts 16 to 18 days for Syrian hamsters, 18 to 21 days for the Russian hamsters, 21 to 23 days for Chinese hamsters and 23 to 30 for Roborovski Hamsters. The average litter for Syrians is about 7, but can be as great as 24, which is the maximum number of pups that can be contained in the uterus. Campbell’s Dwarf Hamsters tend to have 4 to 8 in a litter but can have up to 14. Winter White Russian Dwarf Hamsters tend to have slightly smaller litters, as do Chinese and Roborovski hamsters.

Siberian hamsters form close, monogamous bonds with their mates. If separated, they may become very depressed. This happens especially in males. Males will become inactive, eat more, and even show some behavioural changes similar to some types of depression in humans. This can even cause obesity in the hamster.

Chinese hamster females are known for being aggressive toward the male if kept together for too long. In some cases, male Chinese hamsters can die after being attacked by the female. If breeding Chinese hamsters, it is recommended to separate the pair after mating or the hamsters will attack each other.

Golden hamster females are also very aggressive toward male hamsters and must be separated immediately after breeding in order to prevent an attack. Female hamsters are also particularly sensitive to disturbances while giving birth and may even eat her own young if she thinks they are in danger, although sometimes she is just carrying the pups in her cheek pouches.^[3]

Hamsters are born hairless and blind in a nest that the mother will have prepared in advance.^[2] After one week they begin to explore outside the nest. They are completely weaned after three weeks, or four for Roborovski Hamsters. Most breeders will sell the hamsters to shops when the hamsters are anywhere from three to nine weeks old.

[edit] Mating and longevity

Syrian hamsters typically live no more than two to three years in captivity, less than that in the wild. Russian Hamsters (Campbell’s and Winter White) live approximately 1.5 to 2 years in captivity, and Chinese Hamsters 2.5 to 3 years. The smaller Roborovski Hamster often lives to 2–3 years in captivity.^[1] Both Syrian and Russian hamsters mature quickly and can begin reproducing at a young age (4–5 weeks), whereas Chinese hamsters will usually begin reproducing at 2–3 months of age, and Roborovskis at 3–4 months of age.

Left to their own devices, hamsters will produce several litters a year with several pups in each litter. When seen from above, a sexually mature female hamster has a trim tail line; a male’s tail line bulges on both sides. This might not be very visible in all species. Male hamsters typically have very large testes in relation to their body size. Before sexual maturity occurs at about 4–6 weeks, it is more difficult to determine a young hamster’s sex. When examined, female hamsters have their anal and genital openings close together, whereas males have these two holes farther apart (the penis is usually withdrawn into the coat and thus appears as a hole or pink pimple).^[2]

It should also be noted that if a captive hamster is left for extended periods (3–4 weeks and more) with her litter, there is a high possibility that she will cannibalize the litter. It is therefore imperative that the litter be split up by the time the young can collect their own food and water.

[edit] Hamsters as pets

A Sable short-haired Syrian hamster

The best-known species of hamster is the Syrian or Golden Hamster (Mesocricetus auratus), which is the type of hamster most commonly kept as a pet. It is also sometimes called a “fancy” hamster. Pet stores also have taken to calling them “honey bears”, “panda bears”, “black bears”, “European black bears”, “polar bears”, “teddy bears”, and “Dalmatian”, depending on their coloration. There are also several variations, including long-haired varieties that grow hair several centimeters long and often require special care. British zoologist Leonard Goodwin claimed that most hamsters kept in the United Kingdom were descended from the colony he introduced for medical research purposes during the Second World War.^[7]

A Russian dwarf hamster

Other hamsters that are kept as pets are the four species of “dwarf hamster“. Campbell’s Dwarf Hamster (Phodopus campbelli) is the most common of the four—they are also sometimes called “Russian Dwarfs”; however, many hamsters are from Russia, and so this ambiguous name does not distinguish them from other species appropriately. The coat of the Winter White Russian Dwarf Hamster (Phodopus sungorus) turns almost white during winter (when the hours of daylight decrease).^[2] The Roborovski Hamster (Phodopus roborovskii) is extremely small and fast, making it difficult to keep as a pet.^[1] The Chinese Hamster (Cricetulus griseus), although not technically a true “dwarf hamster”, is the only hamster with a prehensile tail (about 4 cm long)—most hamsters have very short, non-prehensile tails.

Many breeders also show their hamsters and so breed towards producing a good healthy show hamster with a view to keeping one or two themselves so quality and temperament are of vital importance when planning the breeding. Although breeders of show hamsters specialise in breeding show hamsters, there are also owners who have bred their pet hamsters. These may be the result of a planned or unplanned pregnancy but the hamsters have usually been cared for well and handled regularly, so make very suitable pets. Buying a hamster directly from a breeder means that there is the opportunity to see the parents and know the dates of birth.

[edit] Classification

Taxonomists generally disagree about the most appropriate placement of the subfamily Cricetinae within the superfamily Muroidea. Some place it in a family Cricetidae that also includes voles, lemmings, and New World rats and mice; others group all these into a large family called Muridae. Their evolutionary history is recorded by 15 extinct fossil genera and extends back 11.2 million to 16.4 million years to the Middle Miocene Epoch in Europe and North Africa; in Asia it extends 6 million to 11 million years. Four of the seven living genera include extinct species. One extinct hamster of Cricetus, for example, lived in North Africa during the Middle Miocene, but the only extant member of that genus is the common hamster of Eurasia.

• Subfamily Cricetinae
  • Genus Allocricetulus
    • Species A. curtatus—Mongolian Hamster
    • Species A. eversmanni—Kazakh Hamster, also called Eversmann’s Hamster
  • Genus Cansumys
    • Species C. canus—Gansu Hamster
  • Genus Cricetulus
    • Species C. alticola—Ladak Hamster
    • Species C. barabensis, including “C. pseudogriseus” and “C. obscurus“—Chinese Striped Hamster, also called Chinese Hamster; Striped Dwarf Hamster
    • Species C. griseus—Chinese (Dwarf) Hamster, also called Rat Hamster
    • Species C. kamensis—Tibetan Hamster
    • Species C. longicaudatus—Long-tailed Hamster
    • Species C. migratorius—Armenian Hamster, also called Migratory Grey Hamster; Grey Hamster; Grey Dwarf Hamster; Migratory Hamster
    • Species C. sokolovi—Sokolov’s Hamster
  • Genus Cricetus
    • Species C. cricetus—European Hamster, also called Common Hamster or Black-Bellied Field Hamster
    • Species C. nehringi—Rummanian Hamster
  • Genus Mesocricetus—Golden Hamsters
    • Species M. auratus—Syrian Hamster, also called the Golden Hamster or “Teddy Bear” hamster
    • Species M. brandti—Turkish hamster, also called Brandt‘s Hamster; Azerbaijani Hamster
    • Species M. newtoni—Romanian Hamster
    • Species M. raddei—Ciscaucasian Hamster
  • Genus Phodopus—Dwarf Hamsters
    • Species P. campbelli—Campbell’s Russian Dwarf Hamster
    • Species P. roborovskii—Roborovski Hamster, the smallest and fastest of the hamster species
    • Species P. sungorus—Winter White Russian Dwarf Hamster
  • Genus Tscherskia
    • Species T. triton—Greater Long-tailed Hamster, also called Korean Hamster

[edit] Relationships among hamster species

Neumann et al. (2006) conducted a molecular phylogenetic analysis of 12 of the above 17 species of hamster using DNA sequence from three genes: 12S rRNA, cytochrome b, and von Willebrand factor. They uncovered the following relationships:

Phodopus group

The genus Phodopus was found to represent the earliest split among hamsters. Their analysis included both species. The results of another study (Lebedev et al., 2003) may suggest that Cricetulus kamensis (and presumably the related C. alticola) might belong to either this Phodopus group or hold a similar basal position.

Mesocricetus group

The genus Mesocricetus also form a clade. Their analysis included all four species, with M. auratus and M. raddei forming one subclade and M. brandti and M. newtoni another.

Remaining genera

The remaining genera of hamsters formed a third major clade. Two of the three sampled species within Cricetulus represent the earliest split. This clade contains Cricetulus barabensis (and presumably the related C. sokolovi) and Cricetulus longicaudatus.

Miscellaneous

The remaining clade contains members of Allocricetulus, Tscherskia, Cricetus, and Cricetulus migratorius. Allocricetulus and C were sister taxa. Cricetulus migratorius was their next closest relative, and Tscherskia was basal.

[edit] Similar animals

Note that there are some rodents that are sometimes called “hamsters” that are not currently classified in the hamster subfamily Cricetinae. These include the Maned Hamster or Crested Hamster, which is really the Maned Rat (Lophiomys imhausi), although not nearly as marketable under that name. Others are the mouse-like hamsters (Calomyscus spp.), and the white-tailed rat (Mystromys albicaudatus).

[edit] See also

Wikinews has related news: Vietnam bans pet hamsters

• Chinchilla
• Gerbil
• Guinea pig
• Hamster racing
• Hamtaro
• Rat
• Tales of the Riverbank
• The Hampster Dance

[edit] References

[edit] Notes

[edit] Bibliography

• Lebedev, V. S., N. V. Ivanova, N. K. Pavlova, and A. B. Poltoraus. 2003. Molecular phylogeny of the Palearctic hamsters. In Proceedings of the International Conference Devoted to the 90th Anniversary of Prof. I. M. Gromov on Systematics, Phylogeny and Paleontology of Small Mammals (A. Averianov and N. Abramson eds.). St. Petersburg.
• Musser, G. G. and M. D. Carleton. 2005. Superfamily Muroidea. In Mammal Species of the World a Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (D. E. Wilson and D. M. Reeder eds.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore.
• Neumann, K., J. Michaux, V. Lebedev, N. Yigit, E. Colak, N. Ivanova, A. Poltoraus, A. Surov, G. Markov, S. Maak, S. Neumann, R. Gattermann. 2006. Molecular phylogeny of the Cricetinae subfamily based on the mitochondrial cytochrome b and 12S rRNA genes and the nuclear vWF gene. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, in press; Available online 17 February 2006.

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Cricetinae

Wikispecies has information related to: Cricetinae

Look up hamster in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• National Hamster Council (UK)

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The guinea pig (Cavia porcellus), also commonly called the cavy, is a species of rodent belonging to the family Caviidae and the genus Cavia. Despite their common name, these animals are not pigs, nor do they come from Guinea. They originated in the Andes, and studies based on biochemistry and hybridization suggest they are domesticated descendants of a closely related species of cavy such as Cavia aperea, C. fulgida, or C. tschudii, and therefore do not exist naturally in the wild.^[1][2] The guinea pig plays an important role in the folk culture of many Indigenous South American groups, especially as a food source, but also in folk medicine and in community religious ceremonies.^[3] Since the 1960s, efforts have been made to increase consumption of the animal outside South America.^[4]

In Western societies, the guinea pig has enjoyed widespread popularity as a household pet since its introduction by European traders in the 16th century. Their docile nature, their responsiveness to handling and feeding, and the relative ease of caring for them, continue to make the guinea pig a popular pet. Organizations devoted to competitive breeding of guinea pigs have been formed worldwide, and many specialized breeds of guinea pig, with varying coat colors and compositions, are cultivated by breeders.

Biological experimentation on guinea pigs has been carried out since the 17th century. The animals were frequently used as a model organism in the 19th and 20th centuries, resulting in the epithet “guinea pig” for a test subject, but have since been largely replaced by other rodents such as mice and rats. They are still used in research, primarily as models for human medical conditions such as juvenile diabetes, tuberculosis, scurvy, and pregnancy complications.

[edit] History

The common guinea pig was first domesticated as early as 5000 BC for food by tribes in the Andean region of South America (present-day Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia),^[5] some thousands of years after the domestication of the South American camelids.^[6] Statues dating from ca. 500 BC to 500 AD that depict guinea pigs have been unearthed in archaeological digs in Peru and Ecuador.^[7] The Moche people of ancient Peru worshipped animals and often depicted the guinea pig in their art.^[8] From ca. 1200 AD to the Spanish conquest in 1532, selective breeding resulted in many varieties of domestic guinea pigs, which form the basis for some of the modern domestic breeds.^[9] They continue to be a food source in the region; many households in the Andean highlands raise the animal, which subsists off the family’s vegetable scraps.^[10] Folklore traditions involving guinea pigs are numerous; they are exchanged as gifts, used in customary social and religious ceremonies, and frequently referenced in spoken metaphors.^[11] They also play a role in traditional healing rituals by folk doctors, or curanderos, who use the animals to diagnose diseases such as jaundice, rheumatism, arthritis, and typhus.^[12] They are rubbed against the bodies of the sick, and are seen as a supernatural medium.^[13] Black guinea pigs are considered especially useful for diagnoses.^[14] The animal also may be cut open and its entrails examined to determine whether the cure was effective.^[15] These methods are widely accepted in many parts of the Andes, where Western medicine is either unavailable or distrusted.^[16]

Spanish, Dutch, and English traders brought guinea pigs to Europe, where they quickly became popular as exotic pets among the upper classes and royalty, including Queen Elizabeth I.^[5] The earliest known written account of the guinea pig dates from 1547, in a description of the animal from Santo Domingo; because cavies are not native to Hispaniola, the animal was likely introduced there by Spanish travelers.^[1] The guinea pig was first described in the West in 1554 by the Swiss naturalist Conrad Gessner.^[17] Its binomial scientific name was first used by Erxleben in 1777; it is an amalgam of Pallas‘ generic designation (1766) and Linnaeus‘ specific conferral (1758).^[1]

[edit] Name

The scientific name of the common species is Cavia porcellus, with porcellus being Latin for “little pig”. Cavia is New Latin; it is derived from cabiai, the animal’s name in the language of the Galibi tribes once native to French Guiana.^[18] Cabiai may be an adaptation of the Portuguese çavia (now savia), which is itself derived from the Tupi word saujá, meaning rat.^[19] Guinea pigs are called quwi or jaca in Quechua and cuy or cuyo (pl. cuyes, cuyos) in the Spanish of Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia.^[20] Ironically, breeders tend to use the more formal “cavy” to describe the animal, while in scientific and laboratory contexts it is far more commonly referred to by the more colloquial “guinea pig”.^[21]

How the animals came to be thought of as “pigs” is not clear. They are built somewhat like pigs, with large heads relative to their bodies, stout necks, and rounded rumps with no tail of any consequence; some of the sounds they emit are very similar to those made by pigs, and they also spend a large amount of time eating.^[22] They can survive for long periods in small quarters, like a ‘pig pen’, and were thus easily transported on ships to Europe.^[23]

The animal’s name carries porcine connotations in many European languages. The German word for them is Meerschweinchen, literally “little sea pig”, which has been translated into Polish as świnka morska, into Hungarian as tengerimalac and into Russian as морская свинка which can be translated to English as “sea pig”. This derives from nautical history: sailing ships stopping to reprovision in the New World would pick up stores of guinea pigs, which provided an easily transportable source of fresh meat. The French term is Cochon d’Inde (Indian pig) or cobaye; the Dutch call it Guinees biggetje (Guinean piglet) or cavia, (while in some Dutch dialects it is called Spaanse rat), and in Portuguese the guinea pig is variously referred to as cobaia, from the Tupi word via its Latinization, or as porquinho da Índia (little Indian pig). This is not universal; for example, the common word in Spanish is conejillo de Indias (little rabbit of India / the Indies).^[20] Equally peculiar, the Chinese refer to them as Holland pigs (荷蘭豬, hélánzhū).

The origin of “guinea” in “guinea pig” is harder to explain. One theory is that the animals were brought to Europe by way of Guinea, leading people to think they had originated there.^[21] “Guinea” was also frequently used in English to refer generally to any far-off, unknown country, and so the name may simply be a colorful reference to the animal’s foreignness.^[24][25] Another theory suggests the “guinea” in the name is a corruption of “Guiana“, an area in South America, though the animals are not native to that region.^[24][26] A common misconception is that they were so named because they were sold for the price of a guinea coin; this theory is untenable, because the guinea was first struck in England in 1663, and William Harvey used the term “Ginny-pig” as early as 1653.^[27] Others believe “guinea” may be an alteration of the word coney (rabbit); guinea pigs were referred to as “pig coneys” in Edward Topsell‘s 1607 treatise on quadrupeds.^[21]

[edit] Traits and environment

Two parti-colored Abyssinian guinea pigs

Guinea pigs are large for rodents, weighing between 700 and 1200 g (1.5–2.5 pounds), and measuring between 20 and 25 cm (8–10 inches) in length.^[28] They typically live an average of four to five years, but may live as long as eight years.^[29] According to the 2006 Guinness Book of Records the longest living guinea pig survived 14 years, 10.5 months.^[30]

In the 1990s, a minority scientific opinion emerged proposing that caviomorphs, such as guinea pigs, chinchillas, and degus, are not rodents and should be reclassified as a separate order of mammals (similar to lagomorphs).^[31][32] Subsequent research using wider sampling has restored consensus among mammalian biologists that the current classification of rodents as monophyletic is justified.^[33][34]

[edit] Natural habitat

Cavia porcellus is not found naturally in the wild; it is likely descendant from some closely related species of cavies, such as Cavia aperea, Cavia fulgida, and Cavia tschudii, which are still commonly found in various regions of South America.^[1] Some species of cavy identified in the 20th century, such as Cavia anolaimae and Cavia guianae, may be domestic guinea pigs that have become feral by reintroduction into the wild.^[9] Wild cavies are found on grassy plains and occupy an ecological niche similar to that of the cow. They are social, living in the wild in small groups which consist of several females (sows), a male (boar), and the young (which in a break with the preceding porcine nomenclature are called pups). They move together in groups (herds) eating grass or other vegetation, and do not store food.^[35] While they do not burrow or build nests, they frequently seek shelter in the burrows of other animals, as well as in crevices and tunnels formed by vegetation.^[35] They are crepuscular, tending to be most active during dawn and dusk, when it is harder for predators to spot them.^[36]

[edit] Domestic habitat

Domesticated guinea pigs thrive in groups of two or more; groups of sows, or groups of one or more sows and a neutered boar are common combinations. Guinea pigs learn to recognize and bond with other individual guinea pigs, and testing of boars shows that their neuroendocrine stress response is significantly lowered in the presence of a bonded female when compared to the presence of unfamiliar females.^[37] Groups of boars may also get along, provided that their cage has enough space, they are introduced at an early age, and no females are present.^[38] Domestic guinea pigs have developed a different biological rhythm from their wild counterparts, and have longer periods of activity followed by short periods of sleep in between.^[36] Activity is scattered randomly over the 24 hours of the day; aside from avoidance of intense light, no regular circadian patterns are apparent.^[36]

This cat has accepted this pair of guinea pigs. The success of this type of interspecies interaction varies according to the individual animals involved

Domestic guinea pigs generally live in cages, although some owners of large numbers of guinea pigs will dedicate entire rooms to their pets. Cages with solid or wire mesh floors are used, although wire mesh floors can cause injury and may be associated with an infection commonly known as bumblefoot (ulcerative pododermatitis).^[39] “Cubes and Coroplast” (or C&C) style cages are now a common choice.^[40] Cages are often lined with wood shavings or a similar material. Bedding made from Red Cedar^{[disambiguation needed]} and pine, both softwoods, was commonly used in the past, however these materials are now believed to contain harmful phenols (aromatic hydrocarbons) and oils.^[41] Safer beddings include those made from hardwoods (such as aspen), paper products, and corn cob materials are other alternatives.^[41] Guinea pigs tend to be messy within their cages; they often jump into their food bowls or kick bedding and feces into them, and their urine sometimes crystallizes on cage surfaces, making it difficult to remove.^[42] After its cage has been cleaned, a guinea pig will typically urinate and drag the lower body across the floor of the cage to mark its territory.^[43] Male guinea pigs may also mark their territory in this way when they are taken out of their cages.

Guinea pigs do not generally thrive when housed with other species. Cohousing of guinea pigs with other rodents such as gerbils and hamsters may increase instances of respiratory and other infections,^[44] and such rodents may act aggressively toward the guinea pig.^[45] Larger animals may regard guinea pigs as prey, though some (such as dogs) can be trained to accept them.^[46] Opinion is divided over the cohousing of guinea pigs and domestic rabbits. Some published sources say that guinea pigs and rabbits complement each other well when sharing a cage.^[46][47] However, as lagomorphs, rabbits have different nutritional requirements, and so the two species cannot be fed the same food.^[48] Rabbits may also harbor diseases (such as the respiratory infections Bordetella and Pasteurella), to which guinea pigs are susceptible.^[49] Even the dwarf rabbit is much stronger than the guinea pig and may cause intentional or inadvertent injury.^[50]

[edit] Behavior

Guinea pigs can learn complex paths to food, and can accurately remember a learned path for months. Their strongest problem solving strategy is motion.^[51] While guinea pigs can jump small obstacles, they are poor climbers, and are not particularly agile. They startle extremely easily, and will either freeze in place for long periods or run for cover with rapid, darting motions when they sense danger.^[36] Larger groups of startled guinea pigs will “stampede”, running in haphazard directions as a means of confusing predators.^[52] When excited, guinea pigs may repeatedly perform little hops in the air (known as “popcorning”), a movement analogous to the ferret’s war dance.^[53] They are also exceedingly good swimmers.^[54]

Guinea pigs “social groom”

Like many rodents, guinea pigs sometimes participate in social grooming, and they regularly self-groom.^[55] A milky-white substance is secreted from their eyes and rubbed into the hair during the grooming process.^[56] Groups of boars will often chew each other’s hair, but this is a method of establishing hierarchy within a group, rather than a social gesture.^[54] Dominance is also established through biting (especially of the ears), piloerection, aggressive noises, head thrusts, and leaping attacks.^[57] Non-sexual simulated mounting for dominance is also common among same-sex groups.

Guinea pig sight is not as good as a human, but they have a wider range of vision (about 340°)^[58] and see in partial color (dichromacy). They have well-developed senses of hearing, smell, and touch.^[59] Vocalization is the primary means of communication between members of the species.^[60] Some sounds are:^[61][62]

• Wheek – A loud noise, the name of which is onomatopoeic, also known as a Whistle. An expression of general excitement, it may occur in response to the presence of its owner or to feeding. It is sometimes used to find other guinea pigs if they are running. If a guinea pig is lost, it may wheek for assistance. listen (help·info)
• Bubbling or Purring – This sound is made when the guinea pig is enjoying itself, such as when being petted or held. They may also make this sound when grooming, crawling around to investigate a new place, or when given food. listen (help·info)
• Rumbling – This sound is normally related to dominance within a group, though it can also come as a response being scared or angry. In these cases the rumble often sounds higher and the body vibrates shortly. While courting, a male usually purrs deeply, swaying and circling the female^[63] in a behavior called “rumblestrutting”. A low rumble while walking away reluctantly shows passive resistance. listen (help·info)
• Chutting and Whining – These are sounds made in pursuit situations, by the pursuer and pursuee, respectively. listen (help·info)
• Chattering – This sound is made by rapidly gnashing the teeth, and is generally a sign of warning. Guinea pigs tend to raise their heads when making this sound. A more relaxed type of gnashing often means the guinea pig wants a treat that is somewhere nearby but out of reach.^{[original research?]}
• Squealing or Shrieking – A high-pitched sound of discontent, in response to pain or danger. listen (help·info)
• Chirping – This less-common sound, likened to bird song, seems to be related to stress, or when a baby guinea pig wants to be fed. Very rarely, the chirping will last for several minutes. listen (help·info)

[edit] Breeding

Pregnant sow one week before delivering three pups

The guinea pig is able to breed year-round, with birth peaks usually coming in the spring; as many as five litters can be produced per year.^[9] The gestation period lasts from 59–72 days, with an average of 63–68 days.^[43] Because of the long gestation period and the large size of the pups, pregnant females may become large and eggplant-shaped, although the change in size and shape varies. Unlike the offspring of most other rodents, which are altricial at birth, newborn pups are well-developed with hair, teeth, claws, and partial eyesight;^[54] they are immediately mobile, and begin eating solid food immediately, though they continue to suckle. Litters yield 1–6 pups, with an average of three;^[29] the largest recorded litter size is 17.^[64]

In smaller litters, difficulties may occur during labour due to over-sized pups. Large litters result in higher incidences of stillbirth, but because the pups are delivered at an advanced stage of development, lack of access to the mother’s milk has little effect on the mortality rate of newborns.^[65] Cohabitating females assist in mothering duties if lactating.^[66]

Male and female guinea pigs do not differ in external appearance apart from general size. The position of the anus is very close to the genitals in both sexes. Female genitals are distinguished by a Y-shaped configuration formed from a vulvar flap; while the male genitals may look similar with the penis and anus forming a like shape, the penis will protrude if pressure is applied to the surrounding hair.^[67] The male’s testes may also be visible externally from scrotal swelling.

Guinea pig pup at eight hours old

Males reach sexual maturity at 3–5 weeks; females can be fertile as early as four weeks and can carry litters before they are adults.^[68] Females that have never given birth commonly develop irreversible fusing of the pubic symphysis, a joint in the pelvis, after six months of age.^[43] If they become pregnant after this has happened, the birth canal will not widen sufficiently; this may lead to dystocia and death as they attempt to give birth.^[69] Females can become pregnant 6–48 hours after giving birth, but it is not healthy for a female to be thus constantly pregnant.^[70]

Toxemia of pregnancy is common and kills many pregnant females. Signs of toxemia include anorexia, lack of energy, excessive salivation, a sweet or fruity breath odor due to ketones, and seizures in advanced cases.^[71] Pregnancy toxemia appears to be most common in hot climates.^[72] Other serious complications of pregnancy can include a prolapsed uterus, hypocalcaemia, and mastitis.^[73]

[edit] Diet

A silver agouti guinea pig eating grass

Grass is the guinea pig’s natural diet. Their molars are particularly suited for grinding plant matter, and grow continuously throughout the animal’s life.^[74] Most grass-eating mammals are quite large and have a long digestive tract; while guinea pigs have much longer colons than most rodents, they must also supplement their diet by coprophagy, the eating of their own feces.^[75] However, they do not consume all their feces indiscriminately, but produce special soft pellets, called cecotropes, which recycle B vitamins, fiber, and bacteria required for proper digestion.^[76] The cecotropes (or caecal pellets) are eaten directly from the anus, unless the guinea pig is pregnant or obese.^[48] They share this behaviour with rabbits. In geriatric boars or sows (the condition is rarer in young ones), the muscles which allow the softer pellets to be expelled from the anus for consumption can become weak. This creates a condition known as anal impaction, which prevents the boar from redigesting cecotropes, though harder pellets may pass through the impacted mass.^[77] The condition may be temporarily alleviated by carefully expelling the impacted feces.

Guinea pigs benefit from feeding on fresh grass hay, such as timothy hay, in addition to food pellets which are often based from timothy. Alfalfa is also a popular food choice; most guinea pigs will eat large amounts of alfalfa when offered it,^[78] though there exists some controversy over the feeding of alfalfa to adult guinea pigs. Some pet owners and veterinary organizations have advised that, as a legume rather than a grass hay, alfalfa consumed in large amounts may lead to obesity, as well as bladder stones due to excess calcium, in any but pregnant and very young guinea pigs.^[79][80] However, published scientific sources mention alfalfa as a source for replenishment of protein, amino acids, and fiber.^[81][82]

Like humans, but unlike most other mammals, guinea pigs cannot synthesize their own vitamin C and must obtain this vital nutrient from food. If guinea pigs do not ingest enough vitamin C, they can suffer from potentially fatal scurvy. Guinea pigs require about 10 mg (0.15 gr) of vitamin C daily (20 mg (0.31 gr) if pregnant), which can be obtained through fresh, raw fruits and vegetables (such as broccoli, apple, cabbage, carrot, celery, and spinach) or through dietary supplements.^[83] Healthy diets for guinea pigs require a complex balance of calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and hydrogen ions; adequate amounts of vitamins E, A, and D are also necessary.^[84] Imbalanced diets have been associated with muscular dystrophy, metastatic calcification, difficulties with pregnancy, vitamin deficiencies, and teeth problems.^[85] Guinea pigs tend to be fickle eaters when it comes to fresh fruits and vegetables, having learned early in life what is and is not appropriate to consume, and their habits are difficult to change after maturity.^[86] They do not respond well to sudden changes in diet; they may stop eating and starve rather than accepting new food types.^[54] A constant supply of hay or other food is generally recommended, as guinea pigs feed continuously and may develop habits such as chewing on their own hair if food is not present.^[87] Because guinea pigs’ teeth grow constantly, they routinely gnaw, lest their teeth become too large for their mouth, a common problem in rodents.^[40] Guinea pigs will also chew on cloth, paper, plastic, and rubber.

A number of plants are poisonous to guinea pigs, including bracken, bryony, buttercup, charlock, deadly nightshade, foxglove, hellebore, hemlock, Lily of the Valley, mayweed^{[disambiguation needed]}, monkshood, privet, ragwort, rhubarb, speedwell, toadflax^{[disambiguation needed]}, and wild celery.^[88] Additionally, any plant which grows from a bulb (e.g., tulip and onion) is normally considered poisonous.^[88]

[edit] Health

A parti-colored guinea pig suffering from Torticollis, or wry neck

Common ailments in domestic guinea pigs include respiratory tract infections^{[disambiguation needed]}, diarrhea, scurvy (vitamin C deficiency, typically characterized by sluggishness), abscesses due to infection (often in the neck, due to hay embedded in the throat, or from external scratches), and infections by lice, mites, or fungus.^[89]

Mange mites (Trixacarus caviae) are a common cause of hair loss, and other symptoms may also include excessive scratching, unusually aggressive behavior when touched (due to pain), and, in some instances, seizures.^[90] Guinea pigs may also suffer from “running lice” (Gliricola porcelli), a small white insect which can be seen moving through the hair; the eggs of these lice, which appear as black or white specks attached to the hair, are sometimes referred to as “static lice”. Other causes of hair loss can be due to hormonal upsets caused by underlying medical conditions such as ovarian cysts.^[91]

Foreign bodies, especially small pieces of hay or straw, can become lodged in the eyes of guinea pigs, resulting in excessive blinking, tearing, and in some cases an opaque film over the eye due to corneal ulcer.^[92] Hay or straw dust can also cause sneezing. While it is normal for guinea pigs to sneeze periodically, frequent sneezing may be a symptom of pneumonia, especially in response to atmospheric changes. Pneumonia may also be accompanied by torticollis and can be fatal.^[93]

Because the guinea pig has a stout, compact body, the animal more easily tolerates excessive cold than excessive heat.^[94] Its normal body temperature is 101–104 °F (38–40 °C),^[95] and so its ideal ambient air temperature range is similar to the human’s, about 65–75 °F (18–24 °C).^[94] Consistent ambient temperatures in excess of 90 °F (32 °C) have been linked to hyperthermia and death, especially among pregnant sows.^[94] Guinea pigs are not well suited to environments that feature wind or frequent drafts,^[96] and respond poorly to extremes of humidity outside of the range of 30–70%.^[97]

Guinea pigs are prey animals whose survival instinct is to mask pain and signs of illness, and many times health problems may not be apparent until a condition is severe or in its advanced stages. Treatment of disease is made more difficult by the extreme sensitivity guinea pigs have to most antibiotics, including penicillin, which kill off the intestinal flora and quickly bring on episodes of diarrhea and in some cases, death.^[98]

Similar to the inherited genetic diseases of other breeds of animal (such as hip dysplasia in canines), a number of genetic abnormalities of guinea pigs have been reported. Most commonly, the roan coloration of Abyssinian guinea pigs is associated with congenital eye disorders and problems with the digestive system.^[99] Other genetic disorders include “waltzing disease” (deafness coupled with a tendency to run in circles), palsy, and tremor conditions.^[100]

[edit] Pets

A guinea pig being held

If handled correctly early in their life, guinea pigs become amenable to being picked up and carried, and seldom bite or scratch.^[54] They are timid explorers, and rarely attempt to escape from their cages, even when an opportunity presents itself.^[47] Guinea pigs who become familiar with their owner will whistle on the owner’s approach; they will also learn to whistle in response to the rustling of plastic bags or the opening of refrigerator doors, where their food is most commonly stored.

Guinea pigs should be kept in pairs or, preferably groups, unless there is a specific medical condition that requires isolation. Lone guinea pigs are more likely to suffer from stress and depression^[101]; for this reason, it is illegal in Sweden to sell a lone guinea pig to a buyer who does not have any other guinea pigs^[102]. It is a common misconception that male guinea pigs cannot be kept in groups; male guinea pigs can make excellent companions, especially when introduced from a young age and, generally, aggression would only occur if there was limited space or resources or a higher ratio of males to females. Guinea pig compatibility relies more heavily on personality than on gender^[103].

Domesticated guinea pigs come in many breeds, which have been developed since their introduction to Europe and North America. These varieties vary in hair and color composition. The most common varieties found in pet stores are the English shorthair (also known as the American), which have a short, smooth coat, and the Abyssinian, whose coat is ruffled with cowlicks, or rosettes. Also popular among breeders are the Peruvian and the Sheltie (or Silkie), both straight longhair breeds, and the Texel, a curly longhair.

Cavy Clubs and Associations dedicated to the showing and breeding of guinea pigs have been established worldwide. The American Cavy Breeders Association, an adjunct to the American Rabbit Breeders’ Association, is the governing body in the United States and Canada.^[104] The British Cavy Council governs cavy clubs in the United Kingdom. Similar organizations exist in Australia (Australian National Cavy Council)^[105] and New Zealand (New Zealand Cavy Club).^[106] Each club publishes its own Standard of Perfection and determines which breeds are eligible for showing.

[edit] Cultural and media influence

A lilac, orange and white Satin Peruvian guinea pig (show-length coat)

As a result of their widespread popularity in human domestic life, and especially because of their popularity in households with children, guinea pigs have shown a presence in culture and media. Some noted appearances of the animal in literature are The Fairy Caravan, a novel by Beatrix Potter,^[107] and Michael Bond‘s Olga da Polga series for children,^[108] both of which feature guinea pigs as the central protagonist. Another appearance is in The Magician’s Nephew by C. S. Lewis: in the first (chronologically) of his The Chronicles of Narnia series, a guinea pig is the first creature to travel to the Wood between the Worlds.^[109] The short story Pigs Is Pigs by Ellis Parker Butler is a tale of bureaucratic incompetence; two guinea pigs held at a train station breed unchecked while humans argue as to whether they are “pigs” for the purpose of determining freight charges.^[110] Butler’s story, in turn, inspired the Star Trek: The Original Series episode “The Trouble with Tribbles“, written by David Gerrold.^[111] In the Golden Hamster Saga books, there are two guinea pigs named Enrico and Caruso who are modern-day thespians (named after Enrico Caruso) who serve as secondary characters, and often irritate the main character, Freddy Auratus who strongly dislikes their acting antics.

Guinea pigs have also been featured in film and television. In the TV movie Shredderman Rules, the main character and the main character’s crush both have guinea pigs which both play a minor part in the plot. A guinea pig named Rodney, voiced by Chris Rock, was a prominent character in the 1998 film Dr. Dolittle and Linny the Guinea pig is a co-star on Nick Jr.‘s Wonder Pets. Guinea pigs were used in some major advertising campaigns in the 1990s and 2000s, notably for Egg Banking plc,^[112] Snapple, and Blockbuster Video.^[113] The Blockbuster campaign is considered by some guinea pig advocates to have been a factor in the rise of caging guinea pigs and rabbits together.^[50] In the South Park season 12 episode “Pandemic 2: The Startling“,giant guinea pigs dressed in costumes, are portrayed as rampaging over the entire Earth^[114] The Walt Disney Pictures movie G-Force, released in the United States on July 24, 2009, features a group of highly intelligent guinea pigs trained as operatives of the U.S. government. A highly popular video game, based on the movie, was also released.

[edit] Scientific research

A guinea pig being examined by a veterinary medical officer for general health and pulmonary condition

The use of guinea pigs in scientific experimentation dates back at least to the 17th century, when the Italian biologists Marcello Malpighi and Carlo Fracassati conducted vivisections of guinea pigs in their examinations of anatomic structures.^[115] In 1780, Antoine Lavoisier used a guinea pig in his experiments with the calorimeter, a device used to measure heat production. The heat from the guinea pig’s respiration melted snow surrounding the calorimeter, showing that respiratory gas exchange is a combustion, similar to a candle burning.^[116] Guinea pigs played a major role in the establishment of germ theory in the late 19th century, through the experiments of Louis Pasteur, Émile Roux, and Robert Koch.^[117] Guinea pigs have been launched into orbital space-flight several times, first by the USSR on the Sputnik 9 biosatellite of March 9, 1961 – with a successful recovery.^[118] China also launched and recovered a biosatellite in 1990 which included guinea pigs as passengers.^[119]

Guinea pig being injected to test a chemical for its carcinogenic properties

In English, the term guinea pig is commonly used as a metaphor for a subject of scientific experimentation, or any experiment or test in modern times. This dates back to the early 20th century; the Oxford English Dictionary notes its first usage in this capacity in 1913.^[120] In 1933, Consumers Research founders F. J. Schlink and Arthur Kallet wrote a book entitled 100,000,000 Guinea Pigs, extending the metaphor to consumer society.^[121] The book became a national bestseller in the United States, thus further popularizing the term, and spurred the growth of the consumer protection movement.^[122] The negative connotation of the term was later employed in the novel The Guinea Pigs by Czech author Ludvík Vaculík as an allegory for Soviet totalitarianism.^[123]

Guinea pigs were popular laboratory animals until the later 20th century; about 2.5 million guinea pigs were used annually in the U.S. for research in the 1960s,^[124] but that total decreased to about 375,000 by the mid-1990s.^[54] As of 2007, they constitute approximately 2% of the current total of laboratory animals.^[124] In the past they were widely used to standardize vaccines and antiviral agents; they were also often employed in studies on the production of antibodies in response to extreme allergic reactions, or anaphylaxis.^[125] Less common uses included research in pharmacology and irradiation.^[125] Since the middle 20th century, they have been replaced in laboratory contexts primarily by mice and rats. This is in part because research into the genetics of guinea pigs has lagged behind that of other rodents, although geneticists W. E. Castle and Sewall Wright made a number of contributions to this area of study, especially regarding coat color.^[100][126] In 2004, the U.S.’s National Human Genome Research Institute announced plans to sequence the genome of the domestic guinea pig.^[127]

The guinea pig was most extensively implemented in research and diagnosis of infectious diseases.^[125] Common uses included identification of brucellosis, Chagas disease, cholera, diphtheria, foot-and-mouth disease, glanders, Q fever, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and various strains of typhus.^[125] They are still frequently used to diagnose tuberculosis, since they are easily infected by human tuberculosis bacteria.^[124] Because guinea pigs are one of the few animals which, like humans, cannot synthesize vitamin C but must obtain it from their diet, they are ideal for researching scurvy.^[124] From the accidental discovery in 1907 that scurvy could be induced in guinea pigs, to their use to prove the chemical structure of the “ascorbutic factor” in 1932, the guinea pig model proved a crucial part of vitamin C research.^[128][129]

Complement, an important component for serology, was first isolated from the blood of the guinea pig.^[124] Guinea pigs have an unusual insulin mutation,^[130] and are a suitable species for the generation of anti-insulin antibodies.^[131] Present at a level 10 times that found in other mammals, the insulin in guinea pigs may be important in growth regulation, a role usually played by growth hormone.^[132] Additionally, guinea pigs have been identified as model organisms for the study of juvenile diabetes and, because of the frequency of pregnancy toxemia, of pre-eclampsia in human females.^[66]

Guinea pig strains used in scientific research are primarily outbred strains. Aside from the common American or English stock, the two main outbred strains in laboratory use are the Hartley and Dunkin-Hartley; these English strains are albino, although pigmented strains are also available.^[133] Inbred strains are less common and are usually used for very specific research, such as immune system molecular biology. Of the inbred strains that have been created, the two that are still used with any frequency are, following Sewall Wright’s designations, “Strain 2″ and “Strain 13″.^[100][133]

Hairless breeds of guinea pigs have been used in scientific research since the 1980s, particularly for dermatological studies. A hairless and immunodeficient breed was the result of a spontaneous genetic mutation in inbred laboratory strains from the Hartley stock at the Eastman Kodak Company in 1979.^[134] An immunocompetent hairless breed was also identified by the Institute Armand Frappier in 1978, and Charles River Laboratories has reproduced this breed for research since 1982.^[135] Cavy fanciers then began acquiring hairless breeds, and the pet hairless varieties are referred to as “skinny pigs“.

[edit] As food

Two Peruvian dishes of cuy meat

Guinea pigs (called cuy, cuye, curí) were originally domesticated for their meat in the Andes. Traditionally, the animal was usually reserved for ceremonial meals by indigenous people in the Andean highlands, but since the 1960s it has become more socially acceptable for consumption by all people.^[136] It continues to be a major part of the diet in Peru and Bolivia, particularly in the Andes Mountains highlands; it is also eaten in some areas of Ecuador (mainly in the Sierra) and Colombia.^[137] Because guinea pigs require much less room than traditional livestock and reproduce extremely quickly, they are a more profitable source of food and income than many traditional stock animals, such as pigs and cows;^[138] moreover, they can be raised in an urban environment. Both rural and urban families raise guinea pigs for supplementary income, and the animals are commonly bought and sold at local markets and large-scale municipal fairs.^[139] Guinea pig meat is high in protein and low in fat and cholesterol, and is described as being similar to rabbit and the dark meat of chicken.^[4][140] The animal may be served fried (chactado or frito), broiled (asado), or roasted (al horno), and in urban restaurants may also be served in a casserole or a fricassee.^[141] Ecuadorians commonly consume sopa or locro de cuy, a soup dish.^[141] Pachamanca or huatia, a process similar to barbecueing, is also popular, and is usually served with corn beer (chicha) in traditional settings.^[141]

Cuy being raised at home in the traditional Andean fashion

Peruvians consume an estimated 65 million guinea pigs each year, and the animal is so entrenched in the culture that one famous painting of the Last Supper in the main cathedral in Cusco shows Christ and the twelve disciples dining on guinea pig.^[4] The animal remains an important aspect of certain religious events in both rural and urban areas of Peru. A religious celebration known as jaca tsariy (“collecting the cuys”) is a major festival in many villages in the Antonio Raimondi province of eastern Peru, and is celebrated in smaller ceremonies in Lima.^[142] It is a syncretistic event, combining elements of Catholicism and pre-Columbian religious practices, and revolves around the celebration of local patron saints.^[142] The exact form that the jaca tsariy takes differs from town to town; in some localities, a sirvinti (servant) is appointed to go from door to door, collecting donations of guinea pigs, while in others, guinea pigs may be brought to a communal area to be released in a mock bullfight.^[142] Meals such as cuy chactado are always served as part of these festivities, and the killing and serving of the animal is framed by some communities as a symbolic satire of local politicians or important figures.^[142] In the Tungurahua and Cotopaxi provinces of central Ecuador, guinea pigs are employed in the celebrations surrounding the feast of Corpus Christi as part of the Ensayo, which is a community meal, and the Octava, where castillos (greased poles) are erected with prizes tied to the crossbars, from which several guinea pigs may be hung.^[143] The Peruvian town of Churin has an annual festival which involves dressing guinea pigs in elaborate costumes for a competition.^[144]

Andean immigrants in New York City raise and sell guinea pigs for meat, and some ethnic restaurants in major United States cities serve cuy as a delicacy.^[145] Peruvian research universities, especially La Molina National Agrarian University, began experimental programs in the 1960s with the intention of breeding larger-sized guinea pigs.^[146] Subsequent university efforts have sought to change breeding and husbandry procedures in South America, in order to make the raising of guinea pigs as livestock more economically sustainable.^[147] In the 1990s and 2000s, the university began exporting the larger breed guinea pigs to Europe, Japan, and the United States in the hope of increasing human consumption outside of these countries in northern South America.^[4] Efforts have also been made to introduce guinea pig husbandry in developing countries in West Africa.^[138] Nevertheless, as a food source they are still generally considered taboo in other countries in America and Europe; in reality television, guinea pig meat has been consumed as an exotic dish by such Western celebrity chefs as Andrew Zimmern (for his show Bizarre Foods) and Anthony Bourdain in No Reservations.

[edit] See also

Mammals portal

• British Cavy Council
• Peter Gurney
• Save the Newchurch Guinea Pigs

[edit] Footnotes

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Look up guinea pig in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Cavia porcellus

Wikispecies has information related to: Cavia porcellus

Wikibooks has a book on the topic of Animal Care/Guinea pig

• ACBA – American Cavy Breeders’ Association
• Laboratory Guinea Pig
• Domestic Guinea Pig Genome

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