Как правильно пишется морская свинка

Русский[править]

Тип и синтаксические свойства сочетания[править]

мор—ска́·я сви́н—ка

Устойчивое сочетание (термин). Используется в качестве именной группы.

Произношение[править]

• МФА: [mɐrˈskaɪ̯ə ˈsvʲinkə]

Семантические свойства[править]

Значение[править]

1. зоол. вид одомашненных грызунов из рода свинок семейства свинковых ◆ Перед продажей мы всегда обрабатываем в профилактических целях морскую свинку от паразитов.
2. пренебр. комп. жарг. женщина-программист ◆ Ну и что там накодила наша морская свинка?

Синонимы[править]

1. гвинейская свинка, кейви, кеви

Антонимы[править]

1. —

Гиперонимы[править]

1. вид

Гипонимы[править]

1. шелти

Этимология[править]

предположительно, заимствовано от польского świnka morska, а в польском языке — от немецкого Meerschweinchen, что дословно означает «морская свинка» ??

Перевод[править]

Список переводов

Азербайджанскийaz: hind donuzu, dəniz donuzcuğu Албанскийsq: kavie, gini thi Английскийen: guinea pig, cavy Арабскийar: خنزير غينيا м. Арагонскийan: conillet d’Indias м., cobaya ж. Армянскийhy: ծովախոզուկ Баскскийeu: akuri Башкирскийba: диңгеҙ сусҡаһы Белорусскийbe: марская свінка Бенгальскийbn: গিনিপিগ Бирманскийmy: ပူး Болгарскийbg: морско свинче Валлийскийcy: moch cwta Венгерскийhu: tengerimalac Галисийскийgl: cobaia ж. Греческийel: ινδικό χοιρίδιο ж. Грузинскийka: ზღვის გოჭი Гэльскийgd: gearra-mhuc ж. Датскийda: marsvin ср. Древнеанглийский†ang: rætswīn Западнофламандскийvls: Spaansche ratte ж. Ивритhe: קביה Идоиio: kobayo Индонезийскийid: tikus belanda Интерлингваиia: porco de India Интерлингвеиie: cobaye Ирландскийga: muc ghuine ж. Исландскийis: naggrís м. Испанскийes: acure, cavia, cobaya Итальянскийit: cavia, marsovino, porcellino d’India, maialino d’India, porcellino di mar Казахскийkk: теңіз шошқасы Капампанганскийpam: dagis sungsung Кечуаqu: quwi Китайский (традиц.): 豚鼠 Китайский (упрощ.): 豚鼠 Корейскийko: 기니피그 Латинскийla: Cavia porcellus Латышскийlv: jūrascūciņa ж. Лимбургскийli: maerzwien ср., hoescavia, guinees vèrkske Литовскийlt: jūrų kiaulytė ж. Македонскийmk: морско прасе ср. Малайскийms: Tikus Belanda, cavi Мэнскийgv: muc rangagh Науатльnah: tozantōchtli, tozantōchin Немецкийde: Meerschweinchen ср. -s, Meerschwein ср. -s, Нидерландскийnl: huiscavia Норвежскийno: marsvin ср. Окситанскийoc: cobai м. Персидскийfa: خوکچه هندی Польскийpl: świnka morska ж. Португальскийpt: porquinho-da-índia м. Румынскийro: cobai м. Сербскийsr (кир.): морско прасе, заморац, заморче Сербскийsr (лат.): morsko prase ср., zamorac м., zamorče ср. Словенскийsl: morski prašiček м. Тагальскийtl: baboy-Guinea, konehilyo Тайскийth: หนูตะเภา Турецкийtr: kobay, Ginedomuzu Украинскийuk: кавія ж., морська свинка ж. Фарерскийfo: marsvín Финскийfi: marsu, kesymarsu Французскийfr: cochon d’Inde м., cobaye м. Фриульскийfur: cavie Хорватскийhr: zamorac м. Чешскийcs: morčata ж., morče ср. Шведскийsv: marsvin ср. Эсперантоиeo: kobajo, kavio Эстонскийet: merisiga Японскийja: モルモット

This article is about the small rodent species. For the domestic pig breed, see Guinea hog. For various guinea pig species, see Cavia. For other uses, see Guinea pig (disambiguation).

Domestic guinea pig
Conservation status
Domesticated
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Rodentia
Family:	Caviidae
Genus:	Cavia
Species:	C. porcellus
Binomial name
Cavia porcellus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Synonyms
Mus porcellus Linnaeus, 1758 Cavia cobaya Pallas, 1766 Cavia anolaimae Allen, 1916 Cavia cutleri Bennett, 1836 Cavia leucopyga Cabanis, 1848 Cavia longipilis Fitzinger, 1879

The guinea pig or domestic guinea pig (Cavia porcellus), also known as the cavy or domestic cavy (), is a species of rodent belonging to the genus Cavia in the family Caviidae. Breeders tend to use the word cavy to describe the animal, while in scientific and laboratory contexts, it is far more commonly referred to by the common name guinea pig.^[1] Despite their common name, guinea pigs are not native to Guinea, nor are they closely related biologically to pigs, and the origin of the name is still unclear. They originated in the Andes of South America. Studies based on biochemistry and hybridization suggest they are domesticated animals that do not exist naturally in the wild, descendants of a closely related cavy species such as C. tschudii.^[2][3] They were originally domesticated as livestock for a source of meat, and are still consumed in some parts of the world.

In Western society, the guinea pig has enjoyed widespread popularity as a pet since its introduction to Europe and North America by European traders in the 16th century. Their docile nature, friendly responsiveness to handling and feeding, and the relative ease of caring for them have made guinea pigs a continuing popular choice of household pet. Organizations devoted to the competitive breeding of guinea pigs have been formed worldwide. Many specialized breeds, with varying coat colors and textures, are selected by breeders.

Livestock breeds of the guinea pig play an important role in folk culture for many indigenous Andean peoples, especially as a food source.^[4] The animals are also used in folk medicine and in community religious ceremonies.^[5] They are raised for their meat and are a culinary staple in the Andes Mountains, where they are known as cuy. In the 1960s a modern breeding program was started in Peru that resulted in large breeds known as cuy mejorados (improved cuy). Marketers tried to increase consumption of the animal outside South America.^[6]

Biological experimentation on domestic guinea pigs has been carried out since the 17th century. The animals were used so frequently as model organisms in the 19th and 20th centuries that the epithet guinea pig came into use to describe a human test subject. Since that time, they have been largely replaced by other rodents, such as mice and rats. However, they are still used in research, primarily as models to study such human medical conditions as juvenile diabetes, tuberculosis, scurvy (like humans, they require dietary intake of vitamin C), and pregnancy complications.

History

Cavia porcellus is not found naturally in the wild; it is likely descended from closely related species of cavies, such as C. aperea, C. fulgida, and C. tschudii, which are still commonly found in various regions of South America.^[2] Studies from 2007 to 2010 applied molecular markers,^[7][8] and studied the skull and skeletal morphology of current and mummified animals,^[9] thereby revealing the ancestor to most likely be C. tschudii. Some species of cavy identified in the 20th century, such as C. anolaimae and C. guianae, may be domestic guinea pigs that have become feral by reintroduction into the wild.^[10]

Wild cavies are found on grassy plains and occupy an ecological niche similar to that of cattle. They are social animals, living in the wild in small groups («herds») that consist of several females («sows»), a male («boar»), and their young («pups» not «piglets», a break with the preceding porcine nomenclature). Herds of animals move together, eating grass or other vegetation, yet do not store food.^[11] While they do not burrow themselves or build nests, they frequently seek shelter in the burrows of other animals, as well as in crevices and tunnels formed by vegetation.^[11] They are crepuscular and tend to be most active during dawn and dusk, when it is harder for predators to spot them.^[12]

Regionally known as cuy, the guinea pig was first domesticated as early as 5000 BC for food by tribes in the Andean region of South America (the present-day southern part of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia),^[13] some thousands of years after the domestication of the South American camelids.^[14] Statues dating from circa 500 BC to 500 AD that depict guinea pigs have been unearthed in archaeological digs in Peru and Ecuador.^[15] The Moche people of ancient Peru worshipped animals and often depicted the guinea pig in their art.^[16]

From about 1200 to the Spanish conquest in 1532, the indigenous peoples used selective breeding to develop many varieties of domestic guinea pigs, which formed the basis for some of the modern domestic breeds.^[10] They continue to be a food source in the region; many households in the Andean highlands raise the animal, which subsists on the family’s vegetable scraps.^[17]

Folklore traditions involving guinea pigs are numerous; they are exchanged as gifts, used in customary social and religious ceremonies, and frequently referred to in spoken metaphors.^[18] They also are used in traditional healing rituals by folk doctors, or curanderos, who use the animals to diagnose diseases such as jaundice, rheumatism, arthritis, and typhus.^[19] They are rubbed against the bodies of the sick, and are seen as a supernatural medium.^[20] Black guinea pigs are considered especially useful for diagnoses.^[21] The animal may be cut open and its entrails examined to determine whether the cure was effective.^[22] These methods are widely accepted in many parts of the Andes, where Western medicine is either unavailable or distrusted.^[23]

Spanish, Dutch, and English traders took guinea pigs to Europe, where they quickly became popular as exotic pets among the upper classes and royalty, including Queen Elizabeth I.^[13] 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 believed to have been earlier introduced there by Spanish travelers.^[2] However, based on more recent excavations on West Indian islands, the animal must have been introduced to the Caribbean around 500 BC by ceramic-making horticulturalists from South America.^[24] It was present in the Ostionoid period on Puerto Rico, for example, long before the advent of the Spaniards.^[25]

The guinea pig was first described in the West in 1554 by the Swiss naturalist Conrad Gessner.^[26] 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).^[2]

The earliest-known European illustration of a domestic guinea pig is a painting (artist unknown) in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery in London, dated to 1580, which shows a girl in typical Elizabethan dress holding a tortoise-shell guinea pig in her hands. She is flanked by her two brothers, one of whom holds a pet bird.^[27] The picture dates from the same period as the oldest recorded guinea pig remains in England, which are a partial cavy skeleton found at Hill Hall, an Elizabethan manor house in Essex, and dated to around 1575.^[27]

Characteristics

Guinea pigs are large for rodents; the common pet breeds weigh between 700 and 1,200 g (1.5 and 2.6 lb) when fully grown and measure between 20 and 25 cm (8 and 10 in) in length.^[28] Some livestock breeds weigh 3 kilograms (6.6 lb) when full grown.^[29] Pet breeds live an average of four to five years, but may live as long as eight years.^[30] According to Guinness World Records, as of 2006, the longest-lived guinea pig was 14 years, 10 months, and 2 weeks old.^[31] Most guinea pigs have fur, but one laboratory breed adopted by some pet owners, the skinny pig, is a mostly furless breed. Some breeds are long-fur breeds such as the Peruvian, the Silkie, and the Texel.

In the 1990s, a minority scientific opinion emerged proposing that caviomorphs such as guinea pigs, chinchillas, and degus are not actually rodents, and should be reclassified as a separate order of mammals (similar to the rodent-like lagomorphs which includes rabbits).^[32][33][34] Subsequent research using wider sampling restored the consensus among mammalian biologists regarding the current classification of rodents, including guinea pigs, as monophyletic.^[35][36]

Male and female guinea pigs do not differ in appearance apart from general size. The position of the anus is very close to the genitals in both sexes. Sexing animals at a young age must be done by someone who has been trained in the differences. Female genitals are distinguished by a «Y»-shaped configuration formed from a vulvar flap. While male genitals may look similar, with the penis and anus forming a similar shape, the penis will protrude if pressure is applied to the surrounding hair anterior to the genital region.^[37] The male’s testes may also be visible externally from scrotal swelling.

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.^[38] While guinea pigs can jump small obstacles, they cannot jump very high. Most of them are poor climbers, and are not particularly agile. They startle easily, and when they sense danger either freeze in place for long periods, or run for cover with rapid, darting motions.^[12] Larger groups of startled guinea pigs «stampede», running in haphazard directions as a means of confusing predators.^[39] When happily excited, guinea pigs may (often repeatedly) perform little hops in the air (a movement known as «popcorning»), analogous to the ferret’s war dance^[40] or rabbit happy hops. Guinea pigs are also good swimmers,^[41] although they do not like being wet and infrequently need bathing.

Like many rodents, guinea pigs sometimes participate in social grooming, and they regularly self-groom.^[42] A milky-white substance is secreted from their eyes and rubbed into the hair during the grooming process.^[43] Groups of boars often chew each other’s hair, but this is a method of establishing hierarchy within a group, rather than a social gesture.^[41] Dominance is also established through biting (especially of the ears), piloerection, aggressive noises, head thrusts, and leaping attacks.^[44] Non-sexual simulated mounting for dominance is also common among same-sex groups.^{[citation needed]}

Guinea pig eyesight is not as good as that of a human in terms of distance and color, but they have a wider angle of vision (about 340°) and see in partial color (dichromacy). They have well-developed senses of hearing, smell, and touch.^[45][46]

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.^[12] Activity is scattered randomly throughout the day; aside from an avoidance of intense light, no regular circadian patterns are apparent.^[12]

Guinea pigs do not generally thrive when housed with other species. Larger animals may regard guinea pigs as prey, though some dogs and cats can be trained to accept them.^[47] Opinion is divided over the cohousing of guinea pigs and rabbits. Some published sources say that guinea pigs and rabbits complement each other well when sharing a cage.^[47][48] However, rabbits have different nutritional requirements; as lagomorphs, they synthesize their own Vitamin C, so the two species will not thrive if fed the same food when housed together.^[49] Rabbits may also harbor diseases (such as respiratory infections from Bordetella and Pasteurella), to which guinea pigs are susceptible.^[50] Housing guinea pigs with other rodents such as gerbils and hamsters may increase instances of respiratory and other infections,^[51] and such rodents may act aggressively toward guinea pigs.^[52]

Vocalization

Vocalization is the primary means of communication between members of the species.^[53] These are the most common sounds made by the guinea pig:^[54]

• A «wheek» is 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)
• A bubbling or purring sound is made when the guinea pig is enjoying itself, such as when being petted or held. It may also make this sound when grooming, crawling around to investigate a new place, or when given food. listen (help·info)
• A rumbling sound is normally related to dominance within a group, though it can also come as a response to being scared or angry. In the case of being scared, the rumble often sounds higher and the body vibrates shortly. While courting, a male usually purrs deeply, swaying and circling the female^[55] in a behavior called rumblestrutting. A low rumble while walking away reluctantly shows passive resistance. listen (help·info)
• Chutting and whining are sounds made in pursuit situations, by the pursuer and pursuee, respectively. listen (help·info)
• A chattering 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.
• Squealing or shrieking is a high-pitched sound of discontent, in response to pain or danger. listen (help·info)
• Chirping, a less common sound, likened to bird song, seems to be related to stress or discomfort, or when a baby guinea pig wants to be fed. Very rarely, the chirping will last for several minutes. listen (help·info)

Living environment

Domestic guinea pigs generally live in cages, although some owners of large numbers of cavies dedicate entire rooms to their pets.^{[citation needed]} Wire mesh floors can cause injury and may be associated with an infection commonly known as bumblefoot (ulcerative pododermatitis),^[56] so cages with solid bottoms, where the animal walks directly on the bedding, are typically used. Large cages, which allow for adequate running space, can be constructed from wire grid panels and plastic sheeting, a style known as C&C, or «cubes and coroplast».^[57]

Red cedar (Eastern or Western) and pine, both softwoods, were commonly used as bedding, but now these materials are believed to contain harmful phenols (aromatic hydrocarbons) and oils.^[58] Bedding materials made from hardwoods (such as aspen), paper products, and corn cobs are alternatives.^[58] Guinea pigs tend to be messy; 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.^[59] After its cage has been cleaned, a guinea pig typically urinates and drags its lower body across the floor of the cage to mark its territory.^[60] Male guinea pigs may mark their territory in this way when they are put back into their cages after being taken out.^{[citation needed]}

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, but boars can sometimes live together. Guinea pigs learn to recognize and bond with other individual pigs, and tests show that a boar’s neuroendocrine stress response to a strange environment is significantly lowered in the presence of a bonded female, but not with unfamiliar females.^[61] Groups of boars may also get along, provided their cage has enough space, they are introduced at an early age, and no females are present.^[62] In Switzerland, where keeping a guinea pig without a companion is illegal, a service to rent guinea pigs (to temporarily replace a dead cage-mate) is available.^[63] Sweden has similar laws against keeping a guinea pig by itself.^[64]

Nomenclature

Latin 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.^[65] Cabiai may be an adaptation of the Portuguese çavia (now savia), which is itself derived from the Tupi word saujá, meaning rat.^[66]

Guinea pig

The origin of «guinea» in «guinea pig» is hard to explain. One proposed explanation is that the animals were brought to Europe by way of Guinea, leading people to think they had originated there.^[1] «Guinea» was also frequently used in English to refer generally to any far-off, unknown country, so the name may simply be a colorful reference to the animal’s exotic origins.^[67][68]

Another hypothesis suggests the «guinea» in the name is a corruption of «Guiana», an area in South America.^[67][69] A common misconception is that they were so named because they were sold for the price of a guinea coin. This hypothesis is untenable, because the guinea was first struck in England in 1663, and William Harvey used the term «Ginny-pig» as early as 1653.^[70] 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.^[1]

How the animals came to be called «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 spend a large amount of time eating.^[1][71] They can survive for long periods in small quarters, like a «pig pen», and were easily transported by ship to Europe.^[1]

Other languages

Guinea pigs are called quwi or jaca in Quechua and cuy or cuyo (plural cuyes, cuyos) in the Spanish of Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia.^[72]

The animal’s name alludes to pigs in many European languages. The German word for them is Meerschweinchen, literally «little sea pig», in Polish they are called świnka morska, in Hungarian as tengerimalac, and in Russian: морская свинка, romanized: morskaya svinka. This derives from the Middle High German name merswin. This originally meant «dolphin» and was used because of the animals’ grunting sounds (which were thought to be similar).^[73]

Many other, possibly less scientifically based, explanations of the German name exist. For example, 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 called it Guinees biggetje (Guinean piglet), or cavia (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 association with pigs is not universal among European terms; for example, the common word in Spanish is conejillo de Indias (little rabbit of the Indies).^[72]

The Chinese refer to the animal as 豚鼠 (túnshǔ, «pig mouse»), and sometimes as 荷蘭豬 (hélánzhū, ‘Netherlands pig’) or 天竺鼠 (tiānzhúshǔ, «Indian mouse»). The Japanese word for guinea pig is モルモット (morumotto), which derives from the name of another mountain-dwelling rodent, the marmot. This is what the guinea pigs were called by Dutch traders, who first brought them to Nagasaki in 1843. The other, and less common, Japanese word for guinea pig, using kanji, is 天竺鼠 (てんじくねずみ or tenjiku-nezumi), which literally translates as «India rat».^[74]

Diet

The guinea pig’s natural diet is grass; their molars are particularly suited for grinding plant matter and grow continuously throughout their life.^[75] Most mammals that graze are large and have a long digestive tract; guinea pigs have much longer colons than most rodents, but they must also supplement their diet by eating their feces (coprophagy).^[76] However, they do not consume all their feces indiscriminately, but produce special soft pellets, called cecotropes (or caecal pellets), which recycle B vitamins, fiber, and bacteria required for proper digestion.^[49][77] The cecotropes are eaten directly from the anus, unless the guinea pig is pregnant or obese.^[49] They share this behaviour with rabbits. In geriatric boars or sows (rarely in young ones), the muscles which allow the softer pellets to be expelled from the anus can become weak. This creates a condition known as fecal impaction, which prevents the animal from redigesting cecotropes even though harder pellets may pass through the impacted mass.^[78] The condition may be temporarily alleviated by a human carefully removing the impacted feces from the anus.^{[citation needed]}

Guinea pigs benefit from a diet of fresh grass hay, such as timothy hay, in addition to food pellets which are often based on timothy hay. Alfalfa hay is also a popular food choice and most guinea pigs will eat large amounts of alfalfa when offered it,^[17][79] though some controversy exists over offering 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 from the excess calcium in all animals except for pregnant and very young guinea pigs.^[80] However, published scientific sources mention alfalfa as a food source that can replenish protein, amino acids, and fiber.^[81][77][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 of vitamin C daily (20 mg 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 or by eating fresh pellets designed for guinea pigs, if they have been handled properly.^[83] Healthy diets for guinea pigs require a complex balance of calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and hydrogen ions; but adequate amounts of vitamins A, D, and E are also necessary.^[84]

Poor diets for guinea pigs have been associated with muscular dystrophy, metastatic calcification, difficulties with pregnancy, vitamin deficiencies, and teeth problems.^[85][86] Guinea pigs tend to be fickle eaters when it comes to fresh fruits and vegetables after having learned early in life what is and is not appropriate to consume, and their eating habits may be difficult to change after maturity.^[77][87] They do not respond well to sudden changes in their diet and they may stop eating and starve rather than accept new food types.^[41] A constant supply of hay is generally recommended, as guinea pigs feed continuously and may develop bad habits if food is not present, such as chewing on their hair.^[88] Because their teeth grow constantly (as do their nails, like humans), they routinely gnaw on things, lest their teeth become too large for their jaw (a common problem in rodents).^{[citation needed]} Guinea pigs chew on cloth, paper, plastic, and rubber, if they are available.

A number of plants are poisonous to guinea pigs, including bracken, bryony, buttercup, charlock, deadly nightshade, foxglove, hellebore, hemlock, lily of the valley, mayweed, monkshood, privet, ragwort, rhubarb, speedwell, toadflax (both Linaria vulgaris and Linaria dalmatica), and wild celery.^[89] Additionally, any plant which grows from a bulb (e.g., tulip or onion) is normally considered poisonous,^[90] as well as ivy and oak tree leaves.

Reproduction

Males (boars) reach sexual maturity in 3–5 weeks. Similarly, females (sows) can be fertile as early as 4 weeks old, and can carry litters before they are fully-grown adults.^[91] A sow is able to breed year-round (with spring being the peak). A sow can have as many as five litters in a year, but six is theoretically possible.^[10] Unlike the offspring of most rodents, which are altricial at birth, newborn cavy pups are precocial, and are well-developed with hair, teeth, claws, and partial eyesight.^[41] The pups are immediately mobile and begin eating solid food immediately, though they continue to suckle. Sows can once again become pregnant 6–48 hours after giving birth, but it is not healthy for a female to be constantly pregnant.^[92]

The gestation period lasts from 59 days (1.9 months) to 72 days (2.4 months), with an average of 63–68 days.^[60] Because of the long gestation period and the large size of the pups, pregnant sows may become large and eggplant-shaped, although the change in size and shape varies depending upon the size of the litter. Litter size ranges from one to six, with three being the average;^[93] the largest recorded litter size is 9.^[94] The guinea pig mother only has two nipples, but she can readily raise the more average-sized litters of 2 to 4 pups.^[95][96] In smaller litters, difficulties may occur during labour due to oversized 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.^[97]

Cohabitating females assist in mothering duties if lactating;^[98] guinea pigs practice alloparental care, in which a sow may adopt the pups of another. This might take place if the original parents die or are for some reason separated from them. This behavior is common and is seen in many other animal species such as the elephant.^[99]

Toxemia of pregnancy (hypertension) is a common problem and kills many pregnant females. Signs of toxemia include: anorexia (loss of appetite), lack of energy, excessive salivation, a sweet or fruity breath odor due to ketones, and seizures in advanced cases.^[100] Pregnancy toxemia appears to be most common in hot climates.^[101] Other serious complications during pregnancy can include a prolapsed uterus, hypocalcaemia, and mastitis.^[102]

Females that do not give birth may develop an irreversible fusing or calcified cartilage of the pubic symphysis, a joint in the pelvis, which may occur after six months of age.^{[60]: 72–73} If they become pregnant after this has happened, the birth canal may not widen sufficiently, which may lead to dystocia and death as they attempt to give birth.^[103]

Health problems

Common ailments in domestic guinea pigs include respiratory tract infections, 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.^[104]

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.^[105] Guinea pigs may also suffer from «running lice» (Gliricola porcelli), a small, white insect that can be seen moving through the hair; their eggs, 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.^[106]

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.^[107] 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.^[108]

Because the guinea pig has a stout, compact body, it more easily tolerates excessive cold than excessive heat.^[109] Its normal body temperature is 101–104 °F (38–40 °C),^[110] so its ideal ambient air temperature range is similar to a human’s, about 65–75 °F (18–24 °C).^[109] Consistent ambient temperatures in excess of 90 °F (32 °C) have been linked to hyperthermia and death, especially among pregnant sows.^[109] Guinea pigs are not well suited to environments that feature wind or frequent drafts,^[111] and respond poorly to extremes of humidity outside of the range of 30–70%.^[112]

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.^[113][114]

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.^[115] Other genetic disorders include «waltzing disease» (deafness coupled with a tendency to run in circles), palsy, and tremor conditions.^[116]

As pets

If handled correctly early in life, guinea pigs become amenable to being picked up and carried, and seldom bite or scratch.^[41] They are timid explorers and often hesitate to attempt an escape from their cage even when an opportunity presents itself.^[48] Still, they show considerable curiosity when allowed to walk freely, especially in familiar and safe terrain. Guinea pigs that 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. In Switzerland, owning a single guinea pig is considered harmful to its well-being and forbidden by law.^[117]

Coats and grooming

Domesticated guinea pigs occur 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. Grooming of guinea pigs is primarily accomplished using combs or brushes. Shorthair breeds are typically brushed weekly, while longhair breeds may require daily grooming.^[118]

Clubs and associations

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.^[119] The British Cavy Council governs cavy clubs in the United Kingdom. Similar organizations exist in Australia (Australian National Cavy Council)^[120] and New Zealand (New Zealand Cavy Council).^[121] Each club publishes its own standard of perfection and determines which breeds are eligible for showing.

Human allergies

Allergic symptoms, including rhinitis, conjunctivitis, and asthma, have been documented in laboratory animal workers who come into contact with guinea pigs.^[122][123] Allergic reactions following direct exposure to guinea pigs in domestic settings have also been reported.^[122] Two major guinea pig allergens, Cav p I and Cav p II, have been identified in guinea pig fluids (urine and saliva) and guinea pig dander.^{[needs update][122]} People who are allergic to guinea pigs are usually allergic to hamsters and gerbils, as well.^{[better source needed][medical citation needed][124]} Allergy shots can successfully treat an allergy to guinea pigs, although treatment can take up to 18 months.^{[medical citation needed]}

In popular culture and media

As a result of their widespread popularity, especially in households with children, guinea pigs have shown a presence in culture and media. Some noted appearances of the animal in literature include the short story «Pigs Is Pigs» by Ellis Parker Butler, which is a tale of bureaucratic incompetence. Two guinea pigs held at a railway station breed unchecked while humans argue as to whether they are «pigs» or «pets» for the purpose of determining freight charges.^[125] Butler’s story, in turn, inspired the Star Trek: The Original Series episode «The Trouble with Tribbles», written by David Gerrold.^[126] In the Golden Hamster Saga books, two guinea pigs named Enrico and Caruso 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.

In children’s literature

The Fairy Caravan, a novel by Beatrix Potter,^[127] and Michael Bond’s Olga da Polga series for children,^[128] both feature guinea pigs as the 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.^[129] In Ursula Dubosarsky’s Maisie and the Pinny Gig, a little girl has a recurrent dream about a giant guinea pig, while guinea pigs feature significantly in several of Dubosarsky’s other books, including the young adult novel The White Guinea Pig and The Game of the Goose.^[130]

In film and television

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 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,^[131] Snapple, and Blockbuster Video.^[132] In the South Park season 12 episode «Pandemic 2: The Startling», giant guinea pigs dressed in costumes rampage over the Earth.^[133] The 2009 Walt Disney Pictures movie G-Force features a group of highly intelligent guinea pigs trained as operatives of the U.S. government. A video game based on the movie was also released. A guinea pig named Bugsy appears in the 2008 film Bedtime Stories. A guinea pig named Cashew features prominently in the second season of the U.S. adaptation of House of Cards. A guinea pig plays a small but pivotal role in Episode 3, Series 4 (2017) of Black Mirror called Crocodile.

As food

South America

Guinea pigs (called cuy, cuye, or curí) were originally domesticated for their meat in the Andes. Traditionally, the animal was reserved for ceremonial meals and as a delicacy by indigenous people in the Andean highlands, but since the 1960s, it has become more socially acceptable for consumption by all people.^[134] 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 in Colombia,^[135] mostly in the southwestern part of the country (Cauca and Nariño departments). 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 cattle;^[136] 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.^[137]
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.^[6][138] 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.^[139] Ecuadorians commonly consume sopa or locro de cuy, a soup dish.^[139] Pachamanca or huatia, a process similar to barbecuing, is also popular, and is usually served with corn beer (chicha) in traditional settings.^[139]

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 12 disciples dining on guinea pig.^[6] 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.^[140] It is a syncretistic event, combining elements of Catholicism and pre-Columbian religious practices, and revolves around the celebration of local patron saints.^[13] The exact form 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.^[13] Meals such as cuy chactado are always served as part of these festivities, and the killing and serving of the animal are framed by some communities as a symbolic satire of local politicians or important figures.^[13] 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.^[141] The Peruvian town of Churin has an annual festival that involves dressing guinea pigs in elaborate costumes for competition.^[142] There are also guinea pig festivals held in Huancayo, Cusco, Lima, and Huacho, featuring costumes and guinea pig dishes. Most guinea pig celebrations take place on the National Guinea Pig Day (Día Nacional del Cuy) across Peru on the second Friday of October.^[143]

Peruvian breeding program

Peruvian research universities, especially La Molina National Agrarian University, began experimental programs in the 1960s with the intention of breeding larger-sized guinea pigs.^[144] Subsequent university efforts have sought to change breeding and husbandry procedures in South America, to make the raising of guinea pigs as livestock more economically sustainable.^[145] The variety of guinea pig produced by La Molina is fast-growing and can weigh 3 kilograms (6.6 lb).^[29] All the large breeds of guinea pig are known as cuy mejorados and the pet breeds are known as cuy criollos. The three original lines out of Peru were the Perú (weighing 800 grams (28 oz) by 2 weeks), the Andina, and the Inti.^[146]

The United States, Europe, and Japan

Andean immigrants in New York City raise and sell guinea pigs for meat, and some South American restaurants in major cities in the United States serve cuy as a delicacy.^[147][29] In the 1990s and 2000s, La Molina University began exporting large-breed guinea pigs to Europe, Japan, and the United States in the hope of increasing human consumption outside of countries in northern South America.^[6]

Sub-Saharan Africa

Efforts have been made to promote guinea pig husbandry in developing countries of West Africa,^[136] where they occur more widely than generally known because they are usually not covered by livestock statistics. However, it has not been known when and where the animals have been introduced to Africa.^[148] In Cameroon, they are widely distributed.^[149][150] In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, they can be found both in peri-urban environments^[151] as well as in rural regions, for example, in South Kivu.^[152][153] They are also frequently held in rural households in Iringa Region of southwestern Tanzania.^[154][155]

In scientific research

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.^[156] 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.^[157] 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.^[158] 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.^[159] China also launched and recovered a biosatellite in 1990 which included guinea pigs as passengers.^[160]

Guinea pigs remained 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,^[161] but that total decreased to about 375,000 by the mid-1990s.^[41] As of 2007, they constitute about 2% of the current total of laboratory animals.^[161] 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.^[162] Less common uses included research in pharmacology and irradiation.^[162] 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.^[116][163] In 2004, the U.S.’s National Human Genome Research Institute announced plans to sequence the genome of the domestic guinea pig.^[164]

The guinea pig was most extensively used in research and diagnosis of infectious diseases.^[162] 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.^[162] They are still frequently used to diagnose tuberculosis, since they are easily infected by human tuberculosis bacteria.^[161] Because guinea pigs are one of the few animals which, like humans and other primates, cannot synthesize vitamin C, but must obtain it from their diet, they are ideal for researching scurvy.^[161] 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.^[165][166]

Complement, an important component for serology, was first isolated from the blood of the guinea pig.^[161] Guinea pigs have an unusual insulin mutation,^[167] and are a suitable species for the generation of anti-insulin antibodies.^[168] 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.^[169] 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.^[98] Their placental structure is similar to that of humans, and their gestation period can be divided into trimesters that resemble the stages of fetal development in humans.^[170]

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.^[171] 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 still used with any frequency are, following Sewall Wright’s designations, «Strain 2» and «Strain 13».^[116][171]

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.^[172] 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.^[173] Cavy fanciers then began acquiring hairless breeds, and the pet hairless varieties are referred to as «skinny pigs».

Metaphorical usage

In English, the term «guinea pig» is commonly used as a metaphor for a subject of scientific experimentation, or in modern times a subject of any experiment or test. This usage dates back to the early 20th century: the earliest examples cited by the Oxford English Dictionary date from 1913 and 1920.^[174] 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.^[175] The book became a national bestseller in the United States, thus further popularizing the term, and spurred the growth of the consumer protection movement.^[176] During World War II, the Guinea Pig Club was established at Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead, Sussex, England, as a social club and mutual support network for the patients of plastic surgeon Archibald McIndoe, who were undergoing previously untested reconstruction procedures.^[177] The negative connotation of the term was later employed in the novel The Guinea Pigs (1970) by Czech author Ludvík Vaculík as an allegory for Soviet totalitarianism.^[178]

See also

• Rodents as pets
• Peter Gurney, guinea pig rights advocate
• Save the Newchurch Guinea Pigs, against breeding for animal research
• Kurloff cell, special cells found in the blood and organs of guinea pigs

References

Sources

• Morales, Edmundo (1995). The Guinea Pig: Healing, Food, and Ritual in the Andes. University of Arizona Press. ISBN 978-0-8165-1558-5.
• Richardson, V.C.G. (2000). Diseases of Domestic Guinea Pigs (2nd ed.). Blackwell. ISBN 978-0-632-05209-7.
• Terril, Lizabeth A.; Clemons, Donna J. (1998). The Laboratory Guinea Pig. CRC Press. ISBN 978-0-8493-2564-9.
• Vanderlip, Sharon (2003). The Guinea Pig Handbook. Barron’s. ISBN 978-0-7641-2288-0.
• Wagner, Joseph E.; Manning, Patrick J (1976). The Biology of the Guinea Pig. Academic Press. ISBN 978-0-12-730050-4.

External links

• Guinea pig at Curlie
• American Cavy Breeders’ Association (ACBA)
• View the guinea pig genome on Ensembl

This article is about the small rodent species. For the domestic pig breed, see Guinea hog. For various guinea pig species, see Cavia. For other uses, see Guinea pig (disambiguation).

Domestic guinea pig
Conservation status
Domesticated
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Rodentia
Family:	Caviidae
Genus:	Cavia
Species:	C. porcellus
Binomial name
Cavia porcellus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Synonyms
Mus porcellus Linnaeus, 1758 Cavia cobaya Pallas, 1766 Cavia anolaimae Allen, 1916 Cavia cutleri Bennett, 1836 Cavia leucopyga Cabanis, 1848 Cavia longipilis Fitzinger, 1879

The guinea pig or domestic guinea pig (Cavia porcellus), also known as the cavy or domestic cavy (), is a species of rodent belonging to the genus Cavia in the family Caviidae. Breeders tend to use the word cavy to describe the animal, while in scientific and laboratory contexts, it is far more commonly referred to by the common name guinea pig.^[1] Despite their common name, guinea pigs are not native to Guinea, nor are they closely related biologically to pigs, and the origin of the name is still unclear. They originated in the Andes of South America. Studies based on biochemistry and hybridization suggest they are domesticated animals that do not exist naturally in the wild, descendants of a closely related cavy species such as C. tschudii.^[2][3] They were originally domesticated as livestock for a source of meat, and are still consumed in some parts of the world.

In Western society, the guinea pig has enjoyed widespread popularity as a pet since its introduction to Europe and North America by European traders in the 16th century. Their docile nature, friendly responsiveness to handling and feeding, and the relative ease of caring for them have made guinea pigs a continuing popular choice of household pet. Organizations devoted to the competitive breeding of guinea pigs have been formed worldwide. Many specialized breeds, with varying coat colors and textures, are selected by breeders.

Livestock breeds of the guinea pig play an important role in folk culture for many indigenous Andean peoples, especially as a food source.^[4] The animals are also used in folk medicine and in community religious ceremonies.^[5] They are raised for their meat and are a culinary staple in the Andes Mountains, where they are known as cuy. In the 1960s a modern breeding program was started in Peru that resulted in large breeds known as cuy mejorados (improved cuy). Marketers tried to increase consumption of the animal outside South America.^[6]

Biological experimentation on domestic guinea pigs has been carried out since the 17th century. The animals were used so frequently as model organisms in the 19th and 20th centuries that the epithet guinea pig came into use to describe a human test subject. Since that time, they have been largely replaced by other rodents, such as mice and rats. However, they are still used in research, primarily as models to study such human medical conditions as juvenile diabetes, tuberculosis, scurvy (like humans, they require dietary intake of vitamin C), and pregnancy complications.

History

Cavia porcellus is not found naturally in the wild; it is likely descended from closely related species of cavies, such as C. aperea, C. fulgida, and C. tschudii, which are still commonly found in various regions of South America.^[2] Studies from 2007 to 2010 applied molecular markers,^[7][8] and studied the skull and skeletal morphology of current and mummified animals,^[9] thereby revealing the ancestor to most likely be C. tschudii. Some species of cavy identified in the 20th century, such as C. anolaimae and C. guianae, may be domestic guinea pigs that have become feral by reintroduction into the wild.^[10]

Wild cavies are found on grassy plains and occupy an ecological niche similar to that of cattle. They are social animals, living in the wild in small groups («herds») that consist of several females («sows»), a male («boar»), and their young («pups» not «piglets», a break with the preceding porcine nomenclature). Herds of animals move together, eating grass or other vegetation, yet do not store food.^[11] While they do not burrow themselves or build nests, they frequently seek shelter in the burrows of other animals, as well as in crevices and tunnels formed by vegetation.^[11] They are crepuscular and tend to be most active during dawn and dusk, when it is harder for predators to spot them.^[12]

Regionally known as cuy, the guinea pig was first domesticated as early as 5000 BC for food by tribes in the Andean region of South America (the present-day southern part of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia),^[13] some thousands of years after the domestication of the South American camelids.^[14] Statues dating from circa 500 BC to 500 AD that depict guinea pigs have been unearthed in archaeological digs in Peru and Ecuador.^[15] The Moche people of ancient Peru worshipped animals and often depicted the guinea pig in their art.^[16]

From about 1200 to the Spanish conquest in 1532, the indigenous peoples used selective breeding to develop many varieties of domestic guinea pigs, which formed the basis for some of the modern domestic breeds.^[10] They continue to be a food source in the region; many households in the Andean highlands raise the animal, which subsists on the family’s vegetable scraps.^[17]

Folklore traditions involving guinea pigs are numerous; they are exchanged as gifts, used in customary social and religious ceremonies, and frequently referred to in spoken metaphors.^[18] They also are used in traditional healing rituals by folk doctors, or curanderos, who use the animals to diagnose diseases such as jaundice, rheumatism, arthritis, and typhus.^[19] They are rubbed against the bodies of the sick, and are seen as a supernatural medium.^[20] Black guinea pigs are considered especially useful for diagnoses.^[21] The animal may be cut open and its entrails examined to determine whether the cure was effective.^[22] These methods are widely accepted in many parts of the Andes, where Western medicine is either unavailable or distrusted.^[23]

Spanish, Dutch, and English traders took guinea pigs to Europe, where they quickly became popular as exotic pets among the upper classes and royalty, including Queen Elizabeth I.^[13] 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 believed to have been earlier introduced there by Spanish travelers.^[2] However, based on more recent excavations on West Indian islands, the animal must have been introduced to the Caribbean around 500 BC by ceramic-making horticulturalists from South America.^[24] It was present in the Ostionoid period on Puerto Rico, for example, long before the advent of the Spaniards.^[25]

The guinea pig was first described in the West in 1554 by the Swiss naturalist Conrad Gessner.^[26] 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).^[2]

The earliest-known European illustration of a domestic guinea pig is a painting (artist unknown) in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery in London, dated to 1580, which shows a girl in typical Elizabethan dress holding a tortoise-shell guinea pig in her hands. She is flanked by her two brothers, one of whom holds a pet bird.^[27] The picture dates from the same period as the oldest recorded guinea pig remains in England, which are a partial cavy skeleton found at Hill Hall, an Elizabethan manor house in Essex, and dated to around 1575.^[27]

Characteristics

Guinea pigs are large for rodents; the common pet breeds weigh between 700 and 1,200 g (1.5 and 2.6 lb) when fully grown and measure between 20 and 25 cm (8 and 10 in) in length.^[28] Some livestock breeds weigh 3 kilograms (6.6 lb) when full grown.^[29] Pet breeds live an average of four to five years, but may live as long as eight years.^[30] According to Guinness World Records, as of 2006, the longest-lived guinea pig was 14 years, 10 months, and 2 weeks old.^[31] Most guinea pigs have fur, but one laboratory breed adopted by some pet owners, the skinny pig, is a mostly furless breed. Some breeds are long-fur breeds such as the Peruvian, the Silkie, and the Texel.

In the 1990s, a minority scientific opinion emerged proposing that caviomorphs such as guinea pigs, chinchillas, and degus are not actually rodents, and should be reclassified as a separate order of mammals (similar to the rodent-like lagomorphs which includes rabbits).^[32][33][34] Subsequent research using wider sampling restored the consensus among mammalian biologists regarding the current classification of rodents, including guinea pigs, as monophyletic.^[35][36]

Male and female guinea pigs do not differ in appearance apart from general size. The position of the anus is very close to the genitals in both sexes. Sexing animals at a young age must be done by someone who has been trained in the differences. Female genitals are distinguished by a «Y»-shaped configuration formed from a vulvar flap. While male genitals may look similar, with the penis and anus forming a similar shape, the penis will protrude if pressure is applied to the surrounding hair anterior to the genital region.^[37] The male’s testes may also be visible externally from scrotal swelling.

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.^[38] While guinea pigs can jump small obstacles, they cannot jump very high. Most of them are poor climbers, and are not particularly agile. They startle easily, and when they sense danger either freeze in place for long periods, or run for cover with rapid, darting motions.^[12] Larger groups of startled guinea pigs «stampede», running in haphazard directions as a means of confusing predators.^[39] When happily excited, guinea pigs may (often repeatedly) perform little hops in the air (a movement known as «popcorning»), analogous to the ferret’s war dance^[40] or rabbit happy hops. Guinea pigs are also good swimmers,^[41] although they do not like being wet and infrequently need bathing.

Like many rodents, guinea pigs sometimes participate in social grooming, and they regularly self-groom.^[42] A milky-white substance is secreted from their eyes and rubbed into the hair during the grooming process.^[43] Groups of boars often chew each other’s hair, but this is a method of establishing hierarchy within a group, rather than a social gesture.^[41] Dominance is also established through biting (especially of the ears), piloerection, aggressive noises, head thrusts, and leaping attacks.^[44] Non-sexual simulated mounting for dominance is also common among same-sex groups.^{[citation needed]}

Guinea pig eyesight is not as good as that of a human in terms of distance and color, but they have a wider angle of vision (about 340°) and see in partial color (dichromacy). They have well-developed senses of hearing, smell, and touch.^[45][46]

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.^[12] Activity is scattered randomly throughout the day; aside from an avoidance of intense light, no regular circadian patterns are apparent.^[12]

Guinea pigs do not generally thrive when housed with other species. Larger animals may regard guinea pigs as prey, though some dogs and cats can be trained to accept them.^[47] Opinion is divided over the cohousing of guinea pigs and rabbits. Some published sources say that guinea pigs and rabbits complement each other well when sharing a cage.^[47][48] However, rabbits have different nutritional requirements; as lagomorphs, they synthesize their own Vitamin C, so the two species will not thrive if fed the same food when housed together.^[49] Rabbits may also harbor diseases (such as respiratory infections from Bordetella and Pasteurella), to which guinea pigs are susceptible.^[50] Housing guinea pigs with other rodents such as gerbils and hamsters may increase instances of respiratory and other infections,^[51] and such rodents may act aggressively toward guinea pigs.^[52]

Vocalization

Vocalization is the primary means of communication between members of the species.^[53] These are the most common sounds made by the guinea pig:^[54]

• A «wheek» is 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)
• A bubbling or purring sound is made when the guinea pig is enjoying itself, such as when being petted or held. It may also make this sound when grooming, crawling around to investigate a new place, or when given food. listen (help·info)
• A rumbling sound is normally related to dominance within a group, though it can also come as a response to being scared or angry. In the case of being scared, the rumble often sounds higher and the body vibrates shortly. While courting, a male usually purrs deeply, swaying and circling the female^[55] in a behavior called rumblestrutting. A low rumble while walking away reluctantly shows passive resistance. listen (help·info)
• Chutting and whining are sounds made in pursuit situations, by the pursuer and pursuee, respectively. listen (help·info)
• A chattering 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.
• Squealing or shrieking is a high-pitched sound of discontent, in response to pain or danger. listen (help·info)
• Chirping, a less common sound, likened to bird song, seems to be related to stress or discomfort, or when a baby guinea pig wants to be fed. Very rarely, the chirping will last for several minutes. listen (help·info)

Living environment

Domestic guinea pigs generally live in cages, although some owners of large numbers of cavies dedicate entire rooms to their pets.^{[citation needed]} Wire mesh floors can cause injury and may be associated with an infection commonly known as bumblefoot (ulcerative pododermatitis),^[56] so cages with solid bottoms, where the animal walks directly on the bedding, are typically used. Large cages, which allow for adequate running space, can be constructed from wire grid panels and plastic sheeting, a style known as C&C, or «cubes and coroplast».^[57]

Red cedar (Eastern or Western) and pine, both softwoods, were commonly used as bedding, but now these materials are believed to contain harmful phenols (aromatic hydrocarbons) and oils.^[58] Bedding materials made from hardwoods (such as aspen), paper products, and corn cobs are alternatives.^[58] Guinea pigs tend to be messy; 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.^[59] After its cage has been cleaned, a guinea pig typically urinates and drags its lower body across the floor of the cage to mark its territory.^[60] Male guinea pigs may mark their territory in this way when they are put back into their cages after being taken out.^{[citation needed]}

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, but boars can sometimes live together. Guinea pigs learn to recognize and bond with other individual pigs, and tests show that a boar’s neuroendocrine stress response to a strange environment is significantly lowered in the presence of a bonded female, but not with unfamiliar females.^[61] Groups of boars may also get along, provided their cage has enough space, they are introduced at an early age, and no females are present.^[62] In Switzerland, where keeping a guinea pig without a companion is illegal, a service to rent guinea pigs (to temporarily replace a dead cage-mate) is available.^[63] Sweden has similar laws against keeping a guinea pig by itself.^[64]

Nomenclature

Latin 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.^[65] Cabiai may be an adaptation of the Portuguese çavia (now savia), which is itself derived from the Tupi word saujá, meaning rat.^[66]

Guinea pig

The origin of «guinea» in «guinea pig» is hard to explain. One proposed explanation is that the animals were brought to Europe by way of Guinea, leading people to think they had originated there.^[1] «Guinea» was also frequently used in English to refer generally to any far-off, unknown country, so the name may simply be a colorful reference to the animal’s exotic origins.^[67][68]

Another hypothesis suggests the «guinea» in the name is a corruption of «Guiana», an area in South America.^[67][69] A common misconception is that they were so named because they were sold for the price of a guinea coin. This hypothesis is untenable, because the guinea was first struck in England in 1663, and William Harvey used the term «Ginny-pig» as early as 1653.^[70] 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.^[1]

How the animals came to be called «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 spend a large amount of time eating.^[1][71] They can survive for long periods in small quarters, like a «pig pen», and were easily transported by ship to Europe.^[1]

Other languages

Guinea pigs are called quwi or jaca in Quechua and cuy or cuyo (plural cuyes, cuyos) in the Spanish of Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia.^[72]

The animal’s name alludes to pigs in many European languages. The German word for them is Meerschweinchen, literally «little sea pig», in Polish they are called świnka morska, in Hungarian as tengerimalac, and in Russian: морская свинка, romanized: morskaya svinka. This derives from the Middle High German name merswin. This originally meant «dolphin» and was used because of the animals’ grunting sounds (which were thought to be similar).^[73]

Many other, possibly less scientifically based, explanations of the German name exist. For example, 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 called it Guinees biggetje (Guinean piglet), or cavia (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 association with pigs is not universal among European terms; for example, the common word in Spanish is conejillo de Indias (little rabbit of the Indies).^[72]

The Chinese refer to the animal as 豚鼠 (túnshǔ, «pig mouse»), and sometimes as 荷蘭豬 (hélánzhū, ‘Netherlands pig’) or 天竺鼠 (tiānzhúshǔ, «Indian mouse»). The Japanese word for guinea pig is モルモット (morumotto), which derives from the name of another mountain-dwelling rodent, the marmot. This is what the guinea pigs were called by Dutch traders, who first brought them to Nagasaki in 1843. The other, and less common, Japanese word for guinea pig, using kanji, is 天竺鼠 (てんじくねずみ or tenjiku-nezumi), which literally translates as «India rat».^[74]

Diet

The guinea pig’s natural diet is grass; their molars are particularly suited for grinding plant matter and grow continuously throughout their life.^[75] Most mammals that graze are large and have a long digestive tract; guinea pigs have much longer colons than most rodents, but they must also supplement their diet by eating their feces (coprophagy).^[76] However, they do not consume all their feces indiscriminately, but produce special soft pellets, called cecotropes (or caecal pellets), which recycle B vitamins, fiber, and bacteria required for proper digestion.^[49][77] The cecotropes are eaten directly from the anus, unless the guinea pig is pregnant or obese.^[49] They share this behaviour with rabbits. In geriatric boars or sows (rarely in young ones), the muscles which allow the softer pellets to be expelled from the anus can become weak. This creates a condition known as fecal impaction, which prevents the animal from redigesting cecotropes even though harder pellets may pass through the impacted mass.^[78] The condition may be temporarily alleviated by a human carefully removing the impacted feces from the anus.^{[citation needed]}

Guinea pigs benefit from a diet of fresh grass hay, such as timothy hay, in addition to food pellets which are often based on timothy hay. Alfalfa hay is also a popular food choice and most guinea pigs will eat large amounts of alfalfa when offered it,^[17][79] though some controversy exists over offering 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 from the excess calcium in all animals except for pregnant and very young guinea pigs.^[80] However, published scientific sources mention alfalfa as a food source that can replenish protein, amino acids, and fiber.^[81][77][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 of vitamin C daily (20 mg 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 or by eating fresh pellets designed for guinea pigs, if they have been handled properly.^[83] Healthy diets for guinea pigs require a complex balance of calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and hydrogen ions; but adequate amounts of vitamins A, D, and E are also necessary.^[84]

Poor diets for guinea pigs have been associated with muscular dystrophy, metastatic calcification, difficulties with pregnancy, vitamin deficiencies, and teeth problems.^[85][86] Guinea pigs tend to be fickle eaters when it comes to fresh fruits and vegetables after having learned early in life what is and is not appropriate to consume, and their eating habits may be difficult to change after maturity.^[77][87] They do not respond well to sudden changes in their diet and they may stop eating and starve rather than accept new food types.^[41] A constant supply of hay is generally recommended, as guinea pigs feed continuously and may develop bad habits if food is not present, such as chewing on their hair.^[88] Because their teeth grow constantly (as do their nails, like humans), they routinely gnaw on things, lest their teeth become too large for their jaw (a common problem in rodents).^{[citation needed]} Guinea pigs chew on cloth, paper, plastic, and rubber, if they are available.

A number of plants are poisonous to guinea pigs, including bracken, bryony, buttercup, charlock, deadly nightshade, foxglove, hellebore, hemlock, lily of the valley, mayweed, monkshood, privet, ragwort, rhubarb, speedwell, toadflax (both Linaria vulgaris and Linaria dalmatica), and wild celery.^[89] Additionally, any plant which grows from a bulb (e.g., tulip or onion) is normally considered poisonous,^[90] as well as ivy and oak tree leaves.

Reproduction

Males (boars) reach sexual maturity in 3–5 weeks. Similarly, females (sows) can be fertile as early as 4 weeks old, and can carry litters before they are fully-grown adults.^[91] A sow is able to breed year-round (with spring being the peak). A sow can have as many as five litters in a year, but six is theoretically possible.^[10] Unlike the offspring of most rodents, which are altricial at birth, newborn cavy pups are precocial, and are well-developed with hair, teeth, claws, and partial eyesight.^[41] The pups are immediately mobile and begin eating solid food immediately, though they continue to suckle. Sows can once again become pregnant 6–48 hours after giving birth, but it is not healthy for a female to be constantly pregnant.^[92]

The gestation period lasts from 59 days (1.9 months) to 72 days (2.4 months), with an average of 63–68 days.^[60] Because of the long gestation period and the large size of the pups, pregnant sows may become large and eggplant-shaped, although the change in size and shape varies depending upon the size of the litter. Litter size ranges from one to six, with three being the average;^[93] the largest recorded litter size is 9.^[94] The guinea pig mother only has two nipples, but she can readily raise the more average-sized litters of 2 to 4 pups.^[95][96] In smaller litters, difficulties may occur during labour due to oversized 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.^[97]

Cohabitating females assist in mothering duties if lactating;^[98] guinea pigs practice alloparental care, in which a sow may adopt the pups of another. This might take place if the original parents die or are for some reason separated from them. This behavior is common and is seen in many other animal species such as the elephant.^[99]

Toxemia of pregnancy (hypertension) is a common problem and kills many pregnant females. Signs of toxemia include: anorexia (loss of appetite), lack of energy, excessive salivation, a sweet or fruity breath odor due to ketones, and seizures in advanced cases.^[100] Pregnancy toxemia appears to be most common in hot climates.^[101] Other serious complications during pregnancy can include a prolapsed uterus, hypocalcaemia, and mastitis.^[102]

Females that do not give birth may develop an irreversible fusing or calcified cartilage of the pubic symphysis, a joint in the pelvis, which may occur after six months of age.^{[60]: 72–73} If they become pregnant after this has happened, the birth canal may not widen sufficiently, which may lead to dystocia and death as they attempt to give birth.^[103]

Health problems

Common ailments in domestic guinea pigs include respiratory tract infections, 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.^[104]

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.^[105] Guinea pigs may also suffer from «running lice» (Gliricola porcelli), a small, white insect that can be seen moving through the hair; their eggs, 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.^[106]

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.^[107] 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.^[108]

Because the guinea pig has a stout, compact body, it more easily tolerates excessive cold than excessive heat.^[109] Its normal body temperature is 101–104 °F (38–40 °C),^[110] so its ideal ambient air temperature range is similar to a human’s, about 65–75 °F (18–24 °C).^[109] Consistent ambient temperatures in excess of 90 °F (32 °C) have been linked to hyperthermia and death, especially among pregnant sows.^[109] Guinea pigs are not well suited to environments that feature wind or frequent drafts,^[111] and respond poorly to extremes of humidity outside of the range of 30–70%.^[112]

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.^[113][114]

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.^[115] Other genetic disorders include «waltzing disease» (deafness coupled with a tendency to run in circles), palsy, and tremor conditions.^[116]

As pets

If handled correctly early in life, guinea pigs become amenable to being picked up and carried, and seldom bite or scratch.^[41] They are timid explorers and often hesitate to attempt an escape from their cage even when an opportunity presents itself.^[48] Still, they show considerable curiosity when allowed to walk freely, especially in familiar and safe terrain. Guinea pigs that 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. In Switzerland, owning a single guinea pig is considered harmful to its well-being and forbidden by law.^[117]

Coats and grooming

Domesticated guinea pigs occur 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. Grooming of guinea pigs is primarily accomplished using combs or brushes. Shorthair breeds are typically brushed weekly, while longhair breeds may require daily grooming.^[118]

Clubs and associations

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.^[119] The British Cavy Council governs cavy clubs in the United Kingdom. Similar organizations exist in Australia (Australian National Cavy Council)^[120] and New Zealand (New Zealand Cavy Council).^[121] Each club publishes its own standard of perfection and determines which breeds are eligible for showing.

Human allergies

Allergic symptoms, including rhinitis, conjunctivitis, and asthma, have been documented in laboratory animal workers who come into contact with guinea pigs.^[122][123] Allergic reactions following direct exposure to guinea pigs in domestic settings have also been reported.^[122] Two major guinea pig allergens, Cav p I and Cav p II, have been identified in guinea pig fluids (urine and saliva) and guinea pig dander.^{[needs update][122]} People who are allergic to guinea pigs are usually allergic to hamsters and gerbils, as well.^{[better source needed][medical citation needed][124]} Allergy shots can successfully treat an allergy to guinea pigs, although treatment can take up to 18 months.^{[medical citation needed]}

In popular culture and media

As a result of their widespread popularity, especially in households with children, guinea pigs have shown a presence in culture and media. Some noted appearances of the animal in literature include the short story «Pigs Is Pigs» by Ellis Parker Butler, which is a tale of bureaucratic incompetence. Two guinea pigs held at a railway station breed unchecked while humans argue as to whether they are «pigs» or «pets» for the purpose of determining freight charges.^[125] Butler’s story, in turn, inspired the Star Trek: The Original Series episode «The Trouble with Tribbles», written by David Gerrold.^[126] In the Golden Hamster Saga books, two guinea pigs named Enrico and Caruso 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.

In children’s literature

The Fairy Caravan, a novel by Beatrix Potter,^[127] and Michael Bond’s Olga da Polga series for children,^[128] both feature guinea pigs as the 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.^[129] In Ursula Dubosarsky’s Maisie and the Pinny Gig, a little girl has a recurrent dream about a giant guinea pig, while guinea pigs feature significantly in several of Dubosarsky’s other books, including the young adult novel The White Guinea Pig and The Game of the Goose.^[130]

In film and television

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 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,^[131] Snapple, and Blockbuster Video.^[132] In the South Park season 12 episode «Pandemic 2: The Startling», giant guinea pigs dressed in costumes rampage over the Earth.^[133] The 2009 Walt Disney Pictures movie G-Force features a group of highly intelligent guinea pigs trained as operatives of the U.S. government. A video game based on the movie was also released. A guinea pig named Bugsy appears in the 2008 film Bedtime Stories. A guinea pig named Cashew features prominently in the second season of the U.S. adaptation of House of Cards. A guinea pig plays a small but pivotal role in Episode 3, Series 4 (2017) of Black Mirror called Crocodile.

As food

South America

Guinea pigs (called cuy, cuye, or curí) were originally domesticated for their meat in the Andes. Traditionally, the animal was reserved for ceremonial meals and as a delicacy by indigenous people in the Andean highlands, but since the 1960s, it has become more socially acceptable for consumption by all people.^[134] 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 in Colombia,^[135] mostly in the southwestern part of the country (Cauca and Nariño departments). 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 cattle;^[136] 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.^[137]
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.^[6][138] 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.^[139] Ecuadorians commonly consume sopa or locro de cuy, a soup dish.^[139] Pachamanca or huatia, a process similar to barbecuing, is also popular, and is usually served with corn beer (chicha) in traditional settings.^[139]

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 12 disciples dining on guinea pig.^[6] 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.^[140] It is a syncretistic event, combining elements of Catholicism and pre-Columbian religious practices, and revolves around the celebration of local patron saints.^[13] The exact form 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.^[13] Meals such as cuy chactado are always served as part of these festivities, and the killing and serving of the animal are framed by some communities as a symbolic satire of local politicians or important figures.^[13] 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.^[141] The Peruvian town of Churin has an annual festival that involves dressing guinea pigs in elaborate costumes for competition.^[142] There are also guinea pig festivals held in Huancayo, Cusco, Lima, and Huacho, featuring costumes and guinea pig dishes. Most guinea pig celebrations take place on the National Guinea Pig Day (Día Nacional del Cuy) across Peru on the second Friday of October.^[143]

Peruvian breeding program

Peruvian research universities, especially La Molina National Agrarian University, began experimental programs in the 1960s with the intention of breeding larger-sized guinea pigs.^[144] Subsequent university efforts have sought to change breeding and husbandry procedures in South America, to make the raising of guinea pigs as livestock more economically sustainable.^[145] The variety of guinea pig produced by La Molina is fast-growing and can weigh 3 kilograms (6.6 lb).^[29] All the large breeds of guinea pig are known as cuy mejorados and the pet breeds are known as cuy criollos. The three original lines out of Peru were the Perú (weighing 800 grams (28 oz) by 2 weeks), the Andina, and the Inti.^[146]

The United States, Europe, and Japan

Andean immigrants in New York City raise and sell guinea pigs for meat, and some South American restaurants in major cities in the United States serve cuy as a delicacy.^[147][29] In the 1990s and 2000s, La Molina University began exporting large-breed guinea pigs to Europe, Japan, and the United States in the hope of increasing human consumption outside of countries in northern South America.^[6]

Sub-Saharan Africa

Efforts have been made to promote guinea pig husbandry in developing countries of West Africa,^[136] where they occur more widely than generally known because they are usually not covered by livestock statistics. However, it has not been known when and where the animals have been introduced to Africa.^[148] In Cameroon, they are widely distributed.^[149][150] In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, they can be found both in peri-urban environments^[151] as well as in rural regions, for example, in South Kivu.^[152][153] They are also frequently held in rural households in Iringa Region of southwestern Tanzania.^[154][155]

In scientific research

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.^[156] 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.^[157] 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.^[158] 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.^[159] China also launched and recovered a biosatellite in 1990 which included guinea pigs as passengers.^[160]

Guinea pigs remained 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,^[161] but that total decreased to about 375,000 by the mid-1990s.^[41] As of 2007, they constitute about 2% of the current total of laboratory animals.^[161] 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.^[162] Less common uses included research in pharmacology and irradiation.^[162] 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.^[116][163] In 2004, the U.S.’s National Human Genome Research Institute announced plans to sequence the genome of the domestic guinea pig.^[164]

The guinea pig was most extensively used in research and diagnosis of infectious diseases.^[162] 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.^[162] They are still frequently used to diagnose tuberculosis, since they are easily infected by human tuberculosis bacteria.^[161] Because guinea pigs are one of the few animals which, like humans and other primates, cannot synthesize vitamin C, but must obtain it from their diet, they are ideal for researching scurvy.^[161] 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.^[165][166]

Complement, an important component for serology, was first isolated from the blood of the guinea pig.^[161] Guinea pigs have an unusual insulin mutation,^[167] and are a suitable species for the generation of anti-insulin antibodies.^[168] 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.^[169] 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.^[98] Their placental structure is similar to that of humans, and their gestation period can be divided into trimesters that resemble the stages of fetal development in humans.^[170]

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.^[171] 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 still used with any frequency are, following Sewall Wright’s designations, «Strain 2» and «Strain 13».^[116][171]

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.^[172] 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.^[173] Cavy fanciers then began acquiring hairless breeds, and the pet hairless varieties are referred to as «skinny pigs».

Metaphorical usage

In English, the term «guinea pig» is commonly used as a metaphor for a subject of scientific experimentation, or in modern times a subject of any experiment or test. This usage dates back to the early 20th century: the earliest examples cited by the Oxford English Dictionary date from 1913 and 1920.^[174] 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.^[175] The book became a national bestseller in the United States, thus further popularizing the term, and spurred the growth of the consumer protection movement.^[176] During World War II, the Guinea Pig Club was established at Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead, Sussex, England, as a social club and mutual support network for the patients of plastic surgeon Archibald McIndoe, who were undergoing previously untested reconstruction procedures.^[177] The negative connotation of the term was later employed in the novel The Guinea Pigs (1970) by Czech author Ludvík Vaculík as an allegory for Soviet totalitarianism.^[178]

See also

• Rodents as pets
• Peter Gurney, guinea pig rights advocate
• Save the Newchurch Guinea Pigs, against breeding for animal research
• Kurloff cell, special cells found in the blood and organs of guinea pigs

References

Sources

• Morales, Edmundo (1995). The Guinea Pig: Healing, Food, and Ritual in the Andes. University of Arizona Press. ISBN 978-0-8165-1558-5.
• Richardson, V.C.G. (2000). Diseases of Domestic Guinea Pigs (2nd ed.). Blackwell. ISBN 978-0-632-05209-7.
• Terril, Lizabeth A.; Clemons, Donna J. (1998). The Laboratory Guinea Pig. CRC Press. ISBN 978-0-8493-2564-9.
• Vanderlip, Sharon (2003). The Guinea Pig Handbook. Barron’s. ISBN 978-0-7641-2288-0.
• Wagner, Joseph E.; Manning, Patrick J (1976). The Biology of the Guinea Pig. Academic Press. ISBN 978-0-12-730050-4.

External links

• Guinea pig at Curlie
• American Cavy Breeders’ Association (ACBA)
• View the guinea pig genome on Ensembl

виды домашних грызунов из Южной Америки

Домашние морские свинки
Две взрослые морские свинки
Статус сохранения
Одомашненный
Научная классификация
Царство:	Animalia
Тип:	Chordata
Класс:	Mammalia
Порядок:	Rodentia
Семья:	Caviidae
Род:	Cavia
Виды:	C. porcellus
Биномиальное имя
Cavia porcellus . (Linnaeus,)
Синонимы
Mus porcellus Linnaeus, 1758 Cavia cobaya Pallas, 1766 Cavia anolaimae Allen, 1916 Cavia cutleri Bennett, 1836 Cavia leucopyga Cabanis, 1848 Cavia longipilis Fitzinger, 1879

морская свинка или домашняя морская свинка (Cavia porcellus), также известная как морская свинка или домашняя морская свинка (), виды грызунов, принадлежащие к семейству Caviidae и роду Cavia. Несмотря на их общее название, морские свинки не являются местными для морских свинок, и они не имеют близкого биологического родства с свиньями, и происхождение названия до сих пор неясно. Они возникли в Андах в Южной Америки. Исследования, основанные на биохимии и гибридизации, предполагают, что они являются одомашненными потомками близкородственных видов морских свиней, таких как C. чудии, и в природе не существуют. Первоначально были одомашнены как домашний скот, в качестве источника мяса, они продолжают употребляться в качестве источника мяса.

В западном обществе домашняя морская свинка пользуется широкой популярностью как карманное животное с момента ее появления в Европе и Америке европейскими торговцами в 16 веке.. Их послушный характер, дружелюбное отношение к обращению и кормлению, а также относительная простота ухода за ними сделали морских свинок постоянным популярным выбором домашних животных. Организации, занимающиеся конкурентоспособным разведением морских свинок, были созданы по всему миру. Многие специализированные породы с различными окрасом и текстурой шерсти выбираются заводчиками .

Домашняя морская свинка играет роль в народной культуре для многих популярных народов Анд, особенно в качестве источника пищи. Он также используется в народной медицине и в религиозных религиозных обрядах. Животные используются в пищу и являются основным продуктом кулинарии в Андах, где они известны как куи.

В 1960-х годах в Перу была начата современная селекционная программа, в результате чего были выведены крупные породы, известные как cuy mejorados (улучшенный cuy). Маркетологи пытались увеличить потребление животных за пределами Южной Америки.

Биологические эксперименты на домашних морских свинках осуществляются с 17 века. Животные так часто использовались в модельных организмах в 19 и 20 веках, что эпитет морская свинка стал описанием человека. С того времени они были в степени заменены другими грызунами, такими как мыши и крысы. Однако они по-прежнему используются в исследованиях, в первую очередь в качестве моделей для изучения таких заболеваний человека, как ювенильный диабет, туберкулез, цинга (как и люди, они требуют диетического питания). потребление витамина C ) и осложнения беременности.

Содержание

• 1 Имя
• 2 История болезни
• 3 Характеристики
  • 3.1 Поведение
  • 3.2 Вокализация
• 4 Окружающая среда
  • 4.1 Естественная среда обитания
  • 4.2 Домашняя среда обитания
• 5 Диета
• 6 Размножение
• 7 Проблемы со здоровьем
• 8 Как домашние животные
  • 8.1 Обращение, темперамент и социализация
  • 8.2 Внешний вид, пальто и уход
  • 8.3 Клубы и ассоциации
  • 8.4 Аллергия на морских свинок
• 9 В массовой культуре и СМИ
  • 9.1 В детской литературе
  • 9.2 В кино и на телевидении
• 10 В еде
  • 10.1 Южная Америка
  • 10.2 Программа разведения
  • 10.3 Западный мир
  • 10.4 Африка к югу от Сахары
• 11 В научных исследованиях
• 12 См. Также
• 13 Ссылки
• 14 Источники
• 15 Внешние ссылки

Имя

Научное Одним из распространенных видов является Cavia porcellus, где porcellus означает латинское для «маленькая свинья». Cavia — это Новая латынь ; оно происходит от cabiai, названия животного на языке племен галиби, когда-то родом из Французской Гвианы. Cabiai может быть адаптацией португальского çavia (ныне савиа), которое само происходит от слова Tupi saujá, что означает крыса. Морских свинок называют quwi или jaca на кечуа и cuy или cuyo (множественное число cuyes, cuyos) на испанском Эквадоре, Перу и Боливии. Заводчики обычно используют более формальный термин «морская свинка» для описания животного, тогда как в научном и лабораторном контексте его обычно используют более разговорный «морская свинка».

Как животных стали называть »свиньи» непонятно. Они сложены чем-то вроде свиней, с большими головами по сравнению с их телом, крепкими шеями и округлыми крупами без какого-либо существенного хвоста; некоторые из звуков, которые они издают, очень похожи на звуки, издаваемые свиньями, и они проводят много времени за едой. Они могут выжить в течение длительного времени в небольших помещениях, как «свезти на корабле в Европу».

Название животного на многих европейских языках отсылает к свиньям. немецкое слово для них — Meerschweinchen, они «маленькая морская свинья», на польском называются świnka morska, в венгерском как tengerimalac, а в dcd как морская свинка. Это происходит от средневерхненемецкого имени merswin. Первоначально это означало «дельфин » и использовалось из-за хрюкающих звуков животных (которые считались похожими).

Многие другие, возможно, научно обоснованные, объяснения немецкого названия существовать. Например, парусные суда, останавливающиеся для переоборудования в Новом Свете, заберут запасы морских свинок, которые являются легко транспортируемым свежего мяса. Французский термин — cochon d’Inde (индийская свинья) или кобай; голландцы назвали его Guinees biggetje (морской поросенок), или ива (в некоторых голландских диалектах это называется крыса Spaanse); а в португальском морская свинка по-разному регистрируется как cobaia, от слова Tupi через его латинизацию или как porquinho da ndia (маленькая индийская свинья). Эта ассоциация со свиньями не универсальна среди европейских терминов; например, обычное слово на испанском языке — conejillo de Indias (маленький кролик из Индии).

Китайцы называют животное 豚鼠 (túnshǔ, «свинья-мышь»), и иногда как голландская свинья (荷蘭 豬, hélánzhū) или индийская мышь (天竺鼠, tiānzhúshǔ). Японское слово для обозначения морской свинки — «is ル モ ッ ト» (morumotto), происходит от имени другого горного грызуна, сурка. Так называли морских свинок голландские торговцы, которые впервые привезли их в Нагасаки в 1843 году. Другое японское слово для обозначения морской свинки с использованием кандзи — tenjiku-nezumi (天竺鼠, или て ん じ く ね み), что дословно переводится как индийская крыса.

Происхождение слова «морская свинка» в слове «морская свинка» объяснить труднее. Одно из предлагаемых объяснений состоит в том, что животные были привезены в Европу через Гвинею, что наводит на мысль, что они произошли оттуда. «Гвинея» также часто использовалось на английском языке для обозначения любого далекой, неизвестной страны, поэтому название может быть просто красочным отсылкой к экзотическому происхождению животного.

Другая гипотеза предполагает, что «гвинея» в названии искажения «Гвианы «, области в Южной Америки. Распространенное заблуждение состоит в том, что они были названы так, потому что были проданы по цене гвинейской монеты. Эта гипотеза несостоятельна, потому что гинея была впервые отловлена ​​в Англии в 1663 году, а Уильям Харви использовал термин «Джинни-свинка» еще в 1653 году. Другие считают, что «подопытный» может быть изменением этого слова кони (кролик); морские свинки упоминались как «свиные шишки» в трактате Эдварда Топселла 1607 года о четвероногих.

История

Череп морских свинки

Морская свинка была первой одомашнили еще в 5000 г. до н.э. для племенами в Анд регион Южной Америки (современная южная часть Колумбии, Эквадор, Перу и Боливия ), через несколько тысяч лет после одомашнивания южноамериканских верблюдовых. Статуи, датируемые примерно 500 г. до н.э. — 500 г. н.э., изображающие морские свинок, были обнаружены во время археологических раскопок в Перу и Эквадоре. моче люди древнего Перу поклонялись животным и часто изображали морских свинок в своем искусстве.

Примерно с 1200 года нашей эры до испанского завоевания в 1532 году коренные народы использовали селекцию для создания многих разновидностей домашних морских свинок, которые легли в основе некоторых современных домашних пород. Они продолжают использовать пищу в мире; многие домашние хозяйства в высокогорьях разводят животных, которые питаются овощными отходами семьи.

Фольклорные традиции с участием морских свинок многочисленны; они обмениваются как дары, используются в обычных социальных церемониях и часто встречаются в устных метафорах. Они также используются в лечебных ритуалах народных лекарей, курандерос, которые используют животных для таких заболеваний, как желтуха, ревматизм, артрит. и тиф. Их натирают о тела больных и рассматривают как сверхъестественную среду. Черные морские свинки особенно полезными для диагностики. Животное можно разрезать и исследовать его внутренности, чтобы определить, было ли лекарство эффективным. Эти методы широко распространены во многих частях Анд, где западная медицина либо недоступна, либо ей не доверяют.

Испанские, голландские и английские торговцы вывозили морских свинок в Европе, где они быстро стали популярными как экзотические домашние животные среди высших классов и королевской семьи, включая королеву Елизавету I. Самый ранний письменный отчет о морской свинке датируется 1547 годом, это описание животного из Санто-Доминго. Икрам не является родной для Hispaniola, считалось, что это животное было ранее завезено сюда испанскими путешественниками. Однако, судя по недавним раскопкам на островах Вест-Индии, животное, должно быть, было завезено в Карибский бассейн около 500 г. до н.э. садоводами из Южной Америки, производящими керамику. Он присутствовал в период Пуэрто-Рико, например, задолго до появления испанцев.

Морская свинка была впервые описана на Западе в 1554 году швейцарцами. натуралист Конрад Гесснер. Его биномиальное научное название впервые было использовано Эркслебеном в 1777 году; это смесь Паллада ‘родового обозначения (1766) и Линнея ‘ особого конферрала (1758).

Самая ранняя известная европейская иллюстрация морской свинки — это картина (художник неизвестен) из коллекции Национальная портретной галереи в Лондоне, датированная 1580 годом, на которой изображена девушка в типичном елизаветинском платье, ортатая в в в руках морская свинка панциря черепахи в ее руках. По бокам от нее стоят два брата, один из которых держит птицу. Картина датируется тем же периодом, что и самые старые зарегистрированные останки морских свинок в Англии, которые выделяют частичный скелет морской свинки, найденный в Хилл Холл, особняк елизаветинской эпохи в Эссексе и датированный около 1575.

Характеристики

Две одноцветные Абиссинские морские свинки

Морские свинки крупны для грызунов; Обычные породы домашних животных весят от 700 до 1200 г (от 1,5 до 2,6 фунта) в зрелом возрасте и в длину от 20 до 25 см (от 8 до 10 дюймов). Некоторые породы домашнего скота во взрослом состоянии весят 3 кг (6,6 фунта). Породы домашних животных живут в среднем от четырех до пяти лет, но могут жить и восемь. Согласно Книге рекордов Гиннеса 2006 года, самая долгоживущая морская свинка прожила 14 лет 10,5 месяцев. У многих морских свинок есть мех, но одна лабораторная порода, принятая некоторыми владельцами домашних животных, тощая свинья, в основном породой без шерсти. Некоторые породы являются длинношерстными, например, перуанская, Silkie и Texel.

. В 1990-х годах появилось меньшинство научных мнений, предполагающих, что кавиоморфы, такие как морские свинки, шиншиллы и дегу, не являются грызунами и должны быть реклассифицированы в отдельный отряд млекопитающих. (аналогично зайцеобразным ). Последующие исследования с использованием более широкого выбора восстановили консенсус среди биологов-млекопитающих относительно нынешней классификации грызунов как монофилетических.

Поведение

Морские свинки могут изучать сложные пути к пище и могут точно помнить выученный путь в несколько месяцев.. Их самая сильная стратегия решения проблем — это движение. Хотя морские свинки могут перепрыгивать через небольшие препятствия, большинство из них плохо скалолазание и не особенно подвижны. Они очень легко пугаются и либо замирают на месте надолго, либо бегут в укрытие быстрыми рывками, когда чувствуют опасность. Большие группы испуганных морских свинок «бегают в панике», бегая в случайных направлениях, чтобы сбить с толку хищников. В счастливом возбуждении морские свинки могут неоднократно совершать небольшие прыжки в известном как «попкорнинг»), подобное боевому танцу хорька. Они также хорошо плавают.

Морские свинки «общаются» друг за другом

Как и многие грызуны, морские свинки иногда участвуют в социальном уходе и регулярно ухаживают за собой. Молочно-белое вещество выделяется из их глаз и втирается в волосы во время ухода. Группы кабанов часто жуют друг друга за волосы, но это метод исключения иерархии внутри группы, а не социальный жест. Доминирование также включает в себя укусы (особенно за уши), пилоэрекцию, агрессивные звуки, толчки головой и прыжковые атаки. Несексуальное моделирование стремления к доминированию также распространено среди однополых групп.

Зрение морской свинки не такое хорошее, как у человека, с точки зрения положения и цвета, но у них более широкий угол зрения (около 340 °) и они видят частично цвет (дихроматия ). У них хорошо развиты слух, обоняние и осязание.

Вокализация

Вокализация — средство общения между представителем. Вот наиболее распространенные звуки, издаваемые морские свинкой:

• «Свист» — это громкий звук, название которого звукоподражание, также известный как свист. Выражение возбуждения, может происходить в ответ на присутствие хозяина или кормление. Иногда его используют для поиска других морских свинок, если они бегут. Если морская свинка потерялась, она может обратиться за помощью. слушать
• Когда морская свинка веселится, например, когда ее гладят или держат, издается булькающий или урчащий звук. Он также может издавать этот звук, когда ухаживает за собой, ползет, чтобы исследовать новое место, или когда ему дают еду. слушайте
• Урчание обычно связано с доминированием в группе, но также может быть ответом на испуг или гнев. В случае испуга гул часто звучит выше, и вскоре тело начинает вибрировать. Во время ухаживания самец обычно глубоко мурлычет, раскачиваясь и кружа над самкой, что называется грохотом. Низкий рокот при неохотном уходе показывает пассивное сопротивление. слушайте
• Гудение и нытье — это звуки, издаваемые в ситуации преследователя преследователя и преследуемым соответственно. слушай
• Стук издается при быстром скрежете зубами и обычно является признаком предупреждения. Морские свинки обычно поднимают голову, издавая этот звук.
• Визг или визг — это пронзительный звук недовольства в ответ на боль или опасность. слушайте
• Чириканье, менее распространенный звук, похожий на пение птиц, кажется, связано со стрессом или дискомфортом, или когда детеныш морской свинки хочет его накормили. Очень редко щебетание длится несколько минут. слушать

Окружающая среда

Естественная среда обитания

C. porcellus в природе не встречается; вероятно, он произошел от близкородственных видов икры, таких как C. aperea, C. fulgida и C. tschudii, которые до сих пор широко распространены в различных регионах Южной Америки. В исследованиях 2007–2010 годов использовались молекулярные маркеры и изучалась морфология черепа и скелета нынешних и мумифицированных животных, что выявить, что предком, скорее всего, был Cavia tschudii. Некоторые виды морских свинки, идентифицированные в 20 веке, такие как C. anolaimae и C. guianae, могут быть домашние морские свинки, ставшие одичавшими в результате реинтродукции в дикую природу. Дикая икра водится на травянистых равнинах и занимает экологическую нишу, аналогичную таковую крупного рогатого скота. Они социальные, живут в дикой природе небольшими группами, состоящими из нескольких самок (свиноматок), самца (кабан) и молодняка (которые, в отличие от предыдущей номенклатуры свиней, называются «щенки» не «»). Они перемещаются вместе (стада ), поедая траву или другую растительность, и не хранят пищу. Хотя они не роют сами и не строят гнезда, они часто ищут убежище в норах других животных, а также в расщелинах и туннелях, образованных растительностью. Они , как правило, наиболее активны на рассвете и в сумерках (сумеречные), когда хищникам труднее их нанесение.

Домашняя среда обитания

Одомашненные морские свинки процветают группы из двух и более; группы свиноматок или группы из одной или нескольких свиноматок и кастрированного хряка являются обычными комбинациями, но иногда хряки могут жить вместе. Исследования показывают, что их нейроэндокринная демонстрирует показательные исследования на основе самки по с присутствующими незнакомыми самок. Группы кабанов могут уживаться при условии, что в их клетке достаточно места, они вводятся в раннем возрасте и в них отсутствуют самки. У домашних морских свинок развился биологический ритм, отличный от их диких, собратьев, и они имеют более длительные периоды активности, за которыми следуют короткие периоды сна между ними. Активность разбросана случайным образом в течение дня; кроме избегания яркого света, никаких регулярных циркадных паттернов не наблюдается.

Эта кошка принимает пару морских свинок. Однако успех межвидового взаимодействия зависит от отдельных животных.

Домашние морские свинки обычно живут в клетках, хотя некоторые владельцы большого количества морских свинок посвящают своим питомцам целые комнаты. Используются клетки с твердым полом или полом из проволочной сетки, хотя пол из проволочной сетки может вызвать травму и может быть связан с инфекцией, широко известной как шмелина (язвенный пододерматит). Кейджи в стиле «Кубики и Coroplast » (CC) теперь стали обычным выбором. Клетки часто облицованы стружкой или подобным материалом.

Подстилки из красного кедра (восточный или западный ) и сосны, оба хвойных пород, обычно использовались в Но теперь считается, что эти материалы содержат вредные фенолы (ароматические углеводороды) и масла. Другими альтернативами являются более безопасные материалы для подстилки из древесины твердых пород (например, осина ), бумажные изделия и материалы из кукурузных початков. Морские свинки, как правило, беспорядочны в своихках; они часто прыгают в свои миски с едой или пинают в них подстилку и фекалии, а их моча иногда кристаллизуется на поверхности клетки, что затрудняет ее удаление. После того, как клетка была очищена, морская свинка обычно мочится и волочит нижнюю часть тела по полу клетки, чтобы отметить свою территорию. Морские свинки-самцы также отмечают их территорию таким образом, когда вынимают из клеток.

Морские свинки обычно не чувствуют себя хорошо, если их содержат вместе с другими видами. Размещение морских свинок вместе с другими грызунами, такими как хомяки и хомяки, может увеличить количество респираторных и других инфекций, и такие грызуны могут действовать агрессивно по отношению к морской свинке. Более крупные животные добычу морских свинок как , хотя (например, собак или кошек) можно научить принимать их. Мнения разделились по поводу морских свинок и домашних кроликов. В некоторых опубликованных источниках говорится, что морские свинки и кролики хорошо дополняют друг друга в одной клетке. Однако у кроликов разные потребности в питании; как зайцеобразные, они синтезируют свой собственный витамин C, поэтому эти два вида не будут процветать, если их кормят одной и той же пищей, когда они живут вместе. Кролики также могут переносить болезни (такие как респираторные инфекции, вызываемые Bordetella и Pasteurella ), к которым подвержены морские свинки. Даже карликовый кролик обычно сильнее морской свинки и может вызвать преднамеренные или непреднамеренные травмы.

Диета

Серебряный агути морская свинка, поедающая траву

Естественный рацион морской свинки — трава ; их коренные зубы особенно подходят для измельчения растительного материала и непрерывно растут на протяжении всей своей жизни. Большинство пастбищных млекопитающих имеют крупны и длинный пищеварительный тракт; у морских свинок толстая кишка намного больше, чем у представителей грызунов, но они также должны дополнять свой рацион, поедая свои фекалии (копрофагия ). Однако они не потребляют все свои фекалии без разбора, производные специальные мягкие гранулы, называемые цекотропами (или гранулами слепой кишки), которые перерабатывают витамины, клетчатку и бактерии, необходимые для правильного пищеварения.. Цекотропы едят прямо из заднего прохода, если морская свинка не беременна или не страдает ожирением. У них такое же поведение с кроликами. У престарелых хряков или свиноматок (редко у молодых) мышцы, которые позволяют более мягким гранулам выходить из заднего прохода, могут ослабнуть. Это состояние, известное как «анальный удар», которое не позволяет животному переваривать цекотропы, даже если более твердые гранулы проходят через пораженную массу. Состояние может быть временно облегчено, если человек осторожно удалит пораженный кал из заднего прохода.

Морские свинки получают пользу от диеты из свежего травяного сена, такого как сено тимофеевки, в дополнение к кормовым гранулам, которые часто основаны на тимофеевка сено. Люцерна является также популярным пищевым продуктом морских свинок, которые съедают большое количество люцернов, когда им предъявляются предложения люцерны взрослым морским свинкам, хотя существуют некоторые разногласия по поводу предложения люцерны взрослым морским свинкам. Некоторые владельцы домашних животных и ветеринарные организации сообщают, что, будучи бобовым, а не травяным сеном, употребление люцерны в больших количествах может привести к ожирению, а также камням в мочевом пузыре от избытка кальция у всех животных, кроме беременных и очень молодых морских свинок. Однако в опубликованных научных источниках люцерна упоминается как источник пищи, который может восполнять белок, аминокислоты и клетчатку.

Подобно людям, но другие морские гвинея, морские гвинея могут синтезировать собственный витамин C и должны получать это жизненно важное питательное вещество из пищи. Если морские свинки не потребляют достаточного количества витамина С, они могут страдать от смертельной цинга. Морским свинкам требуется около 10 мг витамина С в день (20 мг при беременности), который можно получить из свежих овощей и овощей (таких как брокколи, яблоко, капуста, морковь, сельдерей и шпинат), а также с помощью пищевых добавок или употребление в пищу свежих гранул, предназначенных для морских свинок, при условии надлежащего обращения с ними. Здоровый рацион морских свинок требует сложного состава кальция, магния, фосфора, калия и первого водорода ; но также необходимо достаточное количество витаминов A, D и E.

Короткошерстная морская свинка ест кусок яблока

Плохое питание морских свинок связано с мышечная дистрофия, метастатическая кальцификация, трудности с беременностью, дефицит витаминов и проблемы с зубами. Когда дело доходит до свежих овощей и овощей, морские свинки, как правило, непостоянны, так как в раннем возрасте узнали, что можно, а что нет, и их привычки в еде может быть трудно изменить после достижения зрелости. Они плохо реагируют на внезапные изменения в своем рационе, могут перестать есть и голодать, вместо того, чтобы принимать новые виды пищи. Обычно рекомендуется постоянный запас сена, как морские свинки кормятся постоянно и могут развить вредные привычки, если в них нет еды, например, жевать волосы. Как и их зубы постоянно растут (как и их зубы, как у людей), они обычно грызут вещи, чтобы их зубы не стали слишком большими для их челюсти (обычная проблема у грызунов ). Морские свинки жуют ткань, бумагу, пластик и резину, если они есть.

Ряд растений ядовиты для морских свинок, в том числе папоротник, бриони, лютик, уголь, паслен смертоносный, наперстянка, морозник, болиголов, ландыш, майвид, монашество, бирючина, амброзия, ревень, вероника, лен жаба (оба Linaria vulgaris и Linaria dalmatica ) и сельдерей дикий. Кроме того, любое растение, которое вырастает из луковицы (например, тюльпан или лук ), обычно считается ядовитым, как и листья плюща и дуба. Морская свинка может есть или не есть ядовитые вещества.

Размножение

Беременная свиноматка за неделю до рождения трех детенышей

Самцы достигают половой зрелости через 3-5 недель, в то время как самки могут быть плодовитами уже в 4-недельном возрасте и могут выносить пометы еще до того, как родятся. взрослые люди. Самка морской свинки способна размножаться круглый год, особенно весной. Свиноматка может иметь до пяти пометов в год, но теоретически возможно и шесть. В отличие от других участников грызунов, которые альтрициальны при рождении, новорожденные морские детеныши и хорошо развиты с волосами, зубами, когтями и частичное зрение. Щенки сразу же подвижны и начинают есть твердую пищу, хотя продолжают сосать грудь. Женщины могут снова забеременеть через 6–48 часов после родов, но для женщин постоянно быть беременными — вредно.

Период беременности длится от 59 дней (1,9 месяца) до 72 дней (2,4 месяца), в среднем 63–68 дней. Из-за длительного периода беременности и большого размера детеныши беременных могут стать крупными и иметь баклажана, хотя изменение размера и изменяется в зависимости от формы размера помета. В помете размер от одного до шести, средний размер — три; самый большой зарегистрированный размер помета — 17. У материальной морской свинки только два соска, но она может легко вырастить пометы более среднего размера, от 2 до 4 детенышей. В пометах меньшего размера во родов большие трудности из-за слишком щенков. Большие пометы приводят к более высокой частоте мертворождений, но поскольку детеныши рождаются на продвинутой стадии развития, отсутствие доступа к материнскому молоку мало влияет на уровень смертности новорожденных.

Сожительствующие женщины выполняют материнские обязанности в период лактации; морские свинки практикуют заботу о всех родителях, при которой одна самка может усыновить щенка (ов) другого человека. Это может произойти, если исходные родители умрут или по какой-то причине разлучены с ними. Такое поведение является обычным и наблюдается у многих других видов животных, таких как слон.

Щенок морских свинки в возрасте восьми часов

Токсемия беременности (гипертония) является распространенной проблемой и убивает многих беременных самок. Признаки токсемии включают: анорексию, недостаток энергии, чрезмерное слюноотделение, сладкий или фруктовый запах изо рта из-за кетонов. и припадки в запущенных случаях. Токсемия при беременности чаще всего в жарком климате. Другие серьезные осложнения во время беременности выпадение матки, гипокальциемию и мастит.

. У не рожающих женщин может развиться необратимое влияние или кальцинированный хрящ лобковый симфиз, сустав таза, который может быть после шести месяцев. Если они забеременеют после того, как это произошло, родовые пути могут недостаточно расшириться, что может привести к дистоции и смерти при попытке родить. Самки могут забеременеть через 6–48 часов после родов, но постоянно беременеть самкам — вредно.

Самцы и самки морских свинок не внешне, кроме общего размера. Положение ануса очень близко к гениталиям у обоих полов. Женские половые органы отличаются Y-образной формой, образованной из лоскута вульвы. В то время как мужские гениталии могут выглядеть одинаково, при этом пенис и анус образуют аналогичную форму, если на окружающие волосы будут оказывать давление. Мужские семенники также могут быть видны снаружи из-за набухания мошонки.

Проблемы со здоровьем

Общие недуги у домашних морских свинок, включая инфекции дыхательных путей, диарею, цингу (дефицит витамина С, обычно характеризующийся медлительностью), абсцессы из-за инфекции (часто в области шеи, из-за сена, застрявшего в горле, или из-за внешнего царапин), и инфекции, вызванные вшами, клещами, или грибок.

клещи чесотки (Trixacarus caviae) являются частой причиной выпадения волос, и другие симптомы могут также вызывать чрезмерное расчесывание, необычно агрессивное поведение при прикосновении (из-за боли) и в некоторых случаях, судороги. Морские свинки также могут страдать от «бегающих вшей» (Gliricola porcelli), маленького белого насекомого, которое можно увидеть, перемещаясь по волосам; их яйца, которые выглядят как черные или белые пятнышки, прикрепленные к волосам, иногда называются «статическими вшами». Другие причины выпадения волос могут быть связаны с гормональными нарушениями, вызванными заболеваниями, такими как кисты яичников.

. Инородные тела, особенно небольшие кусочки сена или соломы, могут застревать в морских глазах свинок, что вызывает чрезмерное моргание, слезотечение и, в некоторых случаях, непрозрачную пленку на глазу из-за язвы роговицы. Сенная или соломенная пыль также могут вызвать чихание. Хотя периодическое чихание морских свинок является нормальным явлением, частое чихание может быть симптомом пневмонии, особенно в ответ на атмосферные изменения. Пневмония также может сопровождаться кривошеей и может быть смертельной.

A пестроцветная морская свинка, страдающая кривошеей, или кривошея

Потому что морская свинка болеет плотное, компактное тело, оно легче переносит излишний холод, чем излишнюю жару. Его нормальная температура тела составляет 101–104 ° F (38–40 ° C), поэтому его идеальный диапазон температуры окружающего воздуха аналогичен человеческому: около 65–75 ° F (18–24 ° C).. Постоянная температура окружающей среды выше 90 ° F (32 ° C) связана с гипертермией и смертью, особенно среди беременных свиноматок. Морские свинки плохо приспособлены к условиям окружающей среды с ветром или частыми сквозняками и плохо реагируют на экстремальные значения влажности вне диапазона 30–70%.

Морские свинки prey животные, чей инстинкт выживания состоит в том, чтобы замаскировать боль и признаки болезни, и во многих случаях проблемы со здоровьем могут не проявляться до тех пор, пока состояние не станет тяжелым или не достигнет продвинутой стадии. Лечение болезни осложняется крайней чувствительностью морских свинок к большинству антибиотиков, включая пенициллин, которые убивают кишечную флору и быстро вызывают приступы диареи и, в некоторых случаях, смерти.

Подобно наследственным генетическим заболеваниям других пород животных (например, дисплазия тазобедренного сустава у собак), ряд Сообщалось о генетических аномалиях морских свинок. Чаще всего чалая окраска абиссинских морских свинок связана с врожденными заболеваниями глаз и проблемами с пищеварительной системой. Другие генетические нарушения включают «вальсирующую болезнь» (глухоту в сочетании с тенденцией бегать по кругу), паралич и тремор состояния.

Как домашние животные

Обращение, темперамент и социализация

При правильном обращении в раннем возрасте морские свинки легко поддаются поднятию и переноске и редко кусаются или царапаются. Они робкие исследователи и часто пытаются пытаться сбежать из клетки, даже когда представляется возможность. Тем не менее, они проявляют обширное любопытство, когда им свободно гулять, особенно по знакомой и безопасной местности. Морские свинки, познакомятся со своим хозяином, будут свистеть при приближении хозяина; они также научатся свистеть в ответ на шорох пластиковых пакетов или открывание дверцы холодильника, где чаще всего хранится их еда. В Швейцарии владение одной морской свинкой считается вредным для ее благополучия и запрещено законом.

Внешний вид, шерсть и уход

Черный Морская свинка Силки

Одомашненная морская свинка Свиньи встречаются во многих породах, которые были выведены с момента их появления в Европе и Северной Америке. Эти разновидности различаются по составу волос и цвету. Наиболее распространенные разновидности, которые можно найти в зоомагазинах, — это английские короткошерстные (также известные как американские) с короткой гладкой шерстью и абиссинские, у которых шерсть взъерошена волосками, или розетки. Также популярны среди заводчиков перуанский и шелти (или шелки), обе прямые длинношерстные породы, и тексель, кудрявый длинношерстный. Уход за морскими свинками в первую очередь осуществляется с помощью гребней или щеток. Короткошерстные породы обычно чистятся еженедельно, а длинношерстные могут требовать ежедневного ухода.

Клубы и ассоциации

Сиреневый, оранжевый и белый сатин Перуанская морская свинка с длинной шерстью

Во всем мире созданы клубы и ассоциации по разведению и разведению морских свинок. Американская ассоциация заводчиков кроликов, входящая в состав Американской ассоциации кролиководов, является руководящим органом в США и Канаде. Британский морской совет управляет морскими клубами в Соединенном Королевстве. Подобные организации существуют в Австралии (Австралийский национальный военно-морской совет) и Новой Зеландии (Новозеландский военно-морской совет). Каждый клуб публикует свой стандарт совершенства и определяет, какие породы могут быть выставлены.

Аллергия на морских свинок

Аллергические симптомы, включая ринит, конъюнктивит и астму, зарегистрированы в лабораторных условиях. работники животноводства, контактирующие с морскими свинками. Сообщалось также об аллергических реакциях прямого контакта с морскими свинками в домашних условиях. Два основных аллергена морских свинок, Cav p I и Cav p II, были идентифицированы в жидкостях морских свинок (моча и слюна) и перхоти морских свинок. Люди, страдающие аллергией на морских свинок, обычно имеют аллергию на хомяков и песчанок. Уколы от аллергии565>могут успешно лечить аллергию на морских свинок, хотя лечение может длиться до 18 месяцев.

В культуре и средствах массовой информации

В своей работе, особенно в семье, с детьми, морские свинки проявили себя в культуре и средствах массовой информации. Некоторые отмеченные выступления животного в литературе включают «Pigs Is Pigs » Эллиса Паркера Батлера, который представляет собой рассказ о бюрократическом некомпетентности. Две морские свинки, содержащиеся на железнодорожной станции, не контролируются, в то время как люди спорят о том, являются ли они «свиньями» или «домашними животными» с целью определения стоимости перевозки. История Батлера, в свою очередь, вдохновила Звездный путь: Оригинальный сериал, эпизод «Проблемы с Трибблами », написанный Дэвидом Герольдом. В книгах Golden Hamster Saga две морские свинки по имени Энрико и Карузо — современные актеры (названные в честь Энрико Карузо ), которые второстепенными персонажами и часто раздражают главного героя, Фредди Ауратус, которому категорически не нравятся их актерские выходки.

В детской литературе

Сказочный Караван, роман Беатрикс Поттер, и Майкл Бонд Ольга да Полга в детских сериалах, в роли главного героя выступают морские свинки. Другое появление в Племянник волшебника С. С. Льюис : в первой (хронологически) его серии Хроники Нарнии морская свинка — первое существо, которое отправилось в Лес между мирами. В Урсуле Дубосарски «Мэйси и Пинни Гиг» постоянно снится гигантская морская свинка, в то время как морские свинки значительно фигурируют в нескольких других книгах Дубосарского, в том числе в романе для молодых «Белая Гвинея». Свинья и игра с гусем.

В кино и на телевидении

Морские свинки также снимались в кино и на телевидении. В телефильме Правила Шреддермена у главного героя и главного героя есть морские свинки, которые играют второстепенную роль в сюжете. Морская свинка по имени Родни, озвученная Крисом Роком, была заметным персонажем в фильме 1998 года Доктор. Дулиттл, а морская свинка Линни — партнерша по фильму Ника-младшего Wonder Pets. Морские свинки использовались в некоторых крупных рекламных кампаниях в 1990-х и 2000-х годах, особенно для Egg Banking plc, Snapple и Blockbuster Video. Некоторые защитники морских свинок считают, что блокбастеры являются одним из факторов, способствующих использованию большого количества морских свинок и кроликов в клетках. В Южном парке сезон 12 эпизоде ​​«Пандемия 2: Поразительное » гигантские морские свинки, одетые в костюмы, неистовствуют над Землей. В фильме Walt Disney Pictures G-Force 2009 года рассказывается о группе очень умных морских свинок, прошедших обучение в качестве оперативников правительства США. Также была выпущена видеоигра по фильму. Морская свинка по имени Багси появляется в фильме 2008 года Сказки на ночь. Морская свинка по имени Кешью занимает видное место во втором сезоне американской адаптации Карточного домика. Морская свинка играет небольшую, но ключевую роль в эпизоде ​​3, серии 4 (2017) из Черное зеркало под названием Крокодил.

в пищу

Южная Америка

Морские свинки (называемые куи, куай или кури) изначально были одомашнены для мяса в Андах. Традиционно животное использовалось для церемониальных трапез и деликатесом коренными народами горных видов Анд, но с 1960-х годов оно стало более социально приемлемым для всех людей. Он по-прежнему является основной частью рациона в Перу и Боливии, особенно в высокогорных районах Анд; его также едят в некоторых районах Эквадора (в основном в Сьерра ) и в Колумбии, исключительно в высокогорных районах в департаменте Нариньо, недалеко от границы с Эквадором. Как традиционным морским свинкам требуется меньше места, чем традиционному домашнему скоту, и они очень быстро воспроизводятся, как традиционные домашние животные, такие как свиньи и крупный рогатый скот; более того, их можно выращивать в городских условиях. И сельские жители, и городские семьи разводят морских свинок для получения дополнительного дохода, а животных обычно покупают и продают на местных рынках и муниципальных ярмарках. Мясо морской свинки с высоким уровнем белка и уровнем содержания жира и холестерина, и описано как сходное с кроличьим и темным мясом курицы. Животное можно подавать жареным (чактадо или фрито), жареным (асадо) или жареным (al horno), а в городских ресторанах его также можно подавать в запеканке или фрикасе. Эквадорцы обычно едят супа или locro de cuy, суповое блюдо. Pachamanca или huatia, процесс, похожий на барбекю, также популярен и обычно подается с кукурузное пиво (чича ) в условиях.

Традиционное приготовление жареного куи в Кито, Эквадор

Перу ежегодно потребляют около 65 миллионов морских свинок, а животное настолько укоренилось в культуре, что на одной известной картине Тайной вечери в главном соборе Куско изображен Христос и 12 учеников, обедающих на морской свинке. Животное является важным важным аспектом религиозных мероприятий как в сельской местности, так и в городских районах Перу. Религиозный праздник, известный как jaca tsariy («собирание куев»), крупным праздником во многих деревнях в провинции Антонио Раймонди на востоке Перу, и отмечается небольшими церемониями в Лиме. Это синкретическое событие, сочетающее в себе элементы католицизма и доколумбовых религиозных обычаев, и вращается вокруг чествования местных святых покровителей. Точная форма jaca tsariy отличается от города к городу; в некоторых местах сирвинти (слуга) назначается и отправляется от двери к двери, собирая пожертвования морских свинок, в то время как в других морские свинки могут быть доставлены в общественную зону, чтобы их выпустили в имитацию корриды. Такие блюда, как куй чакдо, всегда подаются как часть этих праздников, а некоторые проблемы, связанные с общинами как символическая сатира местных политиков или важных фигур. В провинциях Тунгурауа и Котопакси в центральном Эквадоре морские свинки память для празднования праздника -Кристи как часть Энсайо, который общественная трапеза и Октава, где возведены кастильо ( Смазанные маслом шесты) с привязанными к перекладинам призами, на которых можно повесить несколько морских свинок. В перуанском городе Чурин ежегодно проводится, во время которого для соревнований морских свинок одевают в изысканные костюмы. Также в Уанкайо, Куско, Лима и Уачо проводились фестивали морских свинок, где можно увидеть костюмы и блюда из морских свинок. Большинство празднований морских свинок проходит в Национальный день морских свинок (Día Nacional del Cuy) по всему Перу во вторую пятницу октября.

Программа разведения

Типичные морские свинки, выращенные на некоммерческих целях, для столовой в Южной Америке, демонстрирующая общий размер и маркировку

Перуанские исследовательские университеты, особенно Национальный аграрный университет Ла-Молина, начали экспериментальные программы в 1960-х годах с целью разведения крупных морских свинок. Последующие методы ведения американских американских свинок в качестве домашнего скота более экономически устойчивыми. Разновидность морских свинок, производимых La Molina, быстро растет и может весить 3 килограмма (6,6 фунта). Все крупные свин морских животных известны как cuy mejorados, а породы домашних животных известны как cuy criollos. Тремя оригинальными линиями из Перу были Perú (вес 800 граммов (28 унций) за 2 недели), Andina и Inti.

Западный мир

Блюдо из Эквадора cuy

Андские иммигранты в Нью-Йорке разводят и продают морских свинок на мясо, а в некоторых южноамериканских ресторанах в городах США называют cuy как деликатес. В 1990-е и 2000-е годы Университет-Молина начал экспорт морских свинок пород в Европу, Японию и США в надежде увеличить потребление людьми за пределами северной части Южной Америки.

Африка к югу от Сахары

Также было приложено много усилий для популяризации морских свинок разведения в странах страны Западной Африки, где они встречаются шире, чем обычно известно, потому что они обычно не охватываются статистикой животноводства. Однако неизвестно, когда и где животные были завезены в Африке. В Камеруне они широко распространены. В Демократической страны Конго их можно найти как в пригородных, так и в сельских районах, например, в Южном Киву. Они также часто используются в домашних домохозяйствах в Иринаринга на юго-западе Танзании.

В научных исследованиях

Морская свинка осматривается ветеринаром для исследования лептоспироза

Использование морских свинок в научных экспериментов восходит к 17 веку, когда итальянские биологи Марчелло Мальпиги провели вивисекции морских свинок при исследовании анатомические структуры. В 1780 году Антуан Лавуазье использовал морскую свинку в своих экспериментах с калориметром, используемым для измерения теплопродукции. Тепло от дыхания морского свинки растопило снег вокруг калориметра, механизм, что дыхательный газообмен — это горение, подобное горению свечи. Морские свинки сыграли роль в становлении теории микробов в конце XIX века благодаря экспериментам Луи Пастера, Эмиля Ру и Роберт Кох. Морские свинки были запущены в орбитальный космический полет несколько раз, сначала с СССР на Спутник 9 биоспутник 9 марта 1961 г. — с успешным восстановлением. Китай также запустил и восстановил биоспутник в 1990 году, в котором в качестве пассажиров использовались морские свинки.

На английском языке термин «морская свинка» обычно используется в качестве метафоры для объекта научных экспериментов или любого эксперимента или теста в наше время. Это восходит к началу 20 века; Оксфордский словарь английского языка отмечает его первое использование в этом качестве в 1913 году. В 1933 году Consumers Research основатели F. Дж. Шлинк и Артур Каллет написали книгу под названием 100000000 морских свинок, распространив этот метафору на обществе потребления. Книга стала национальным бестселлером в США, способствующим продвижению популяризации этого термина и стимулировало рост движения защиты прав потребителей. Во время Второй мировой войны, пластический хирург Арчибальд МакИндоу основал Клуб морских свинок в больнице королевы Виктории, Ист-Гринстед, Сассекс, Англия, как социальный клуб и сеть взаимопомощи для его пациентов, проходили ранее непроверенные процедуры реконструкции. Негативный оттенок этого термина был позже использован в романе «Морские свинки» (1970) чешским автором Людвиком Вацуликом как аллегория советского тоталитаризма..

Морские свинки оставались популярными лабораторными животными до конца 20-го века: около 2,5 миллионов морских свинок ежегодно использовались в США для исследований в 1960-х, но к середине 1990-х их общее количество уменьшилось до 375 000. По состоянию на 2007 год они составляют около 2% от нынешнего количества лабораторных животных. В прошлом они широко использовались для стандартизации и противовирусных агентов ; вакцин и ; они также часто использовались в исследованиях по выработке антител в ответ на крайние аллергические реакции или анафилаксию. Менее распространенные применения включали исследования в фармакологии и облучение. С середины 20 века их заменили в лабораторных условиях, в основном, мыши и крысы. Отчасти это связано с тем, что исследования генетики морских свинок отставали от исследований других грызунов, хотя генетики В. Э. Касл и Сьюэлл Райт внесли ряд вкладов в отношении в эту область исследований, особенно в окраса. В 2004 году Национальный институт исследования генома человека США объявил о планах секвенирования генома домашней морской свинки.

Наиболее широко морская свинка была внедрена в исследование и диагностика инфекционных болезней. Обычное использование включало выявление бруцеллеза, болезни Шагаса, холеры, дифтерии, ящура, сап, Ку-лихорадка, пятнистая лихорадка Скалистых гор и различные штаммы сыпного тифа. Их до сих пор часто используют для диагностики туберкулеза, поскольку они легко заражаются туберкулезными бактериями человека. Временные морские свинки являются одними из немногих животных, которые не могут синтезировать витамин С, как люди и другие приматы, но должны получать его из своего рациона, они идеально подходят для исследования цинги. От случайного открытия в 1907 году, что цинга может быть вызвана у агрессивных морских свинок, до их использования для доказательства структуры структур «аскорбтического фактора» в 1932 году, модель морской свинки оказалась частью исследования витамина С.

Черный тощая свинья

Комплемент, важный компонент серологии, был впервые выделен из крови морской свинки. Морские свинки имеют необычную мутацию для выработки антиинсулиновых антител. Уровень инсулина, обычно играет роль гормон роста, превышающий уровень других млекопитающих, морских свинок. Кроме того, морские свинки были идентифицированы как модельные организмы для исследования ювенильного диабета и токсикоза беременных, преэклампсии у женщин-людей. Их плацентарная структура похожа на человеческую, в период их беременности можно разделить на триместры, которые напоминают стадию развития плода у людей.

Морские свинки штаммы, используемые в научных исследованиях, в первую очередь беспородные породы. Помимо обычного американского или английского поголовья, в лабораторных условиях используются два основных аутбредных штамма: Hartley и Dunkin-Hartley; эти английские штаммы — альбинос, хотя также доступны пигментированные штаммы. Инбредные штаммы менее распространены и обычно используются для очень специфических исследований, таких как молекулярная биология иммунной системы. Из созданных инбредных линий два все еще используются с любым разнообразием после обозначения Сьюэлла Райта, «Штамм 2» и «Штамм 13».

Голые породы морских свинок использовались в научных исследованиях с 1980-х годов, особенно для дерматологических исследований. Бесшерстная иммунодефицитная порода возникла в результате спонтанной генетической мутации в инбредных лабораторных штаммах от Хартли в Eastman Kodak Company в 1979 году. Иммунокомпетентная голая порода была также идентифицирована в 1978 году, и Charles River Laboratories воспроизводила эту породу для исследований с 1982 года. Тогда любители кави начали приобретать бесшерстные породы, а бесшерстные разновидности домашних питомцев называются «тощими свиньями ».

См. Также

• Портал млекопитающих

• Ячейка Курлоффа
• Питер Герни
• Спасите морских свинок Ньючерча

Ссылки

Источники

• Моралес, Эдмундо (1995). Морская свинка: исцеление, еда и ритуал в Андах. Университет Аризоны Press. ISBN 978-0-8165-1558-5. CS1 maint: ref = harv (link )
• Richardson, VCG (2000). Домашние болезни Морские свинки (2-е изд.). Blackwell. ISBN 978-0-632-05209-7. CS1 maint: ref = harv (ссылка )
• Террил, Лизабет А.; Клемонс, Донна Дж. (1998). Лаборатория морских свинок. CRC Press. ISBN 978-0-8493-2564-9. CS1 maint: ref = harv (ссылка )
• Вандерлип, Шарон (2003). Справочник по морским свинкам. Barron’s. ISBN 978-0-7641-2288-0. CS1 maint: ref = harv (ссылка )
• Wagner, Joseph E.; Manning, Patrick J (1976). Биология морской свинки. Academic Press. ISBN 978-0-12-730050-4. CS1 maint: ref = harv (ссылка )

Внешние ссылки

• Морская свинка в Керли
• Американская ассоциация заводчиков морской свинки (ACBA)
• Просмотрите геном морской свинки на Ensembl

Conservation status
Domesticated
Scientific classification [1]
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Rodentia
Family:	Caviidae
Genus:	Cavia
Species:	C. porcellus
Binomial name
Cavia porcellus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Synonyms
Mus porcellus Linnaeus, 1758 Cavia cobaya Pallas, 1766 Cavia anolaimae Allen, 1916 Cavia cutleri Bennett, 1836 Cavia leucopyga Cabanis, 1848 Cavia longipilis Fitzinger, 1879

The guinea pig or domestic guinea pig (Cavia porcellus), also known as cavy or domestic cavy, is a species of rodent belonging to the family Caviidae and the genus Cavia.

Despite their common name, guinea pigs are not native to Guinea, nor are they closely biologically related to pigs, and the origin of the name is still unclear.

They originated in the Andes of South America, and studies based on biochemistry and hybridization suggest they are domesticated descendants of a closely related species of cavy such as C. tschudii, and therefore do not exist naturally in the wild.^[1][2] 

They were originally domesticated as livestock, as a source of food, and continue to be.

In Western society, the domestic guinea pig has enjoyed widespread popularity as a pocket pet, a type of household pet, since its introduction by European traders in the 16th century.

Their docile nature, friendly responsiveness to handling and feeding, and the relative ease of caring for them have made and continue to make guinea pigs a popular choice of pet.

Organizations devoted to the competitive breeding of guinea pigs have been formed worldwide, and many specialized breeds with varying coat colors and textures are selected by breeders.

The domestic guinea pig plays an important role in folk culture for many indigenous Andean groups, especially as a food source, but also in folk medicine and in community religious ceremonies.^[3] 

The animals are used for meat and are a culinary staple in the Andes Mountains, where they are known as cuy.

A modern breeding program was started in the 1960s in Peru that resulted in large breeds known as cuy mejorados (improved cuy) and prompted efforts to increase consumption of the animal outside South America.^[4]

Biological experimentation on domestic guinea pigs has been carried out since the 17th century.

The animals were so frequently used as model organisms in the 19th and 20th centuries that the epithet guinea pig came into use to describe a human test subject.

Since that time, they have been largely replaced by other rodents such as mice and rats.

However, they are still used in research, primarily as models for human medical conditions such as juvenile diabetes, tuberculosis, scurvy (like humans, they require dietary intake of vitamin C), and pregnancy complications.

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.^[5]

Cabiai may be an adaptation of the Portuguese çavia (now savia), which is itself derived from the Tupi word saujá, meaning rat.^[6] 

Guinea pigs are called quwi or jaca in Quechua and cuy or cuyo (plural cuyes, cuyos) in the Spanish of Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia.^[7]

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».^[8]

How the animals came to be called «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.^[8][9] 

They can survive for long periods in small quarters, like a ‘pig pen’, and were thus easily transported on ships to Europe.^[8]

The animal’s name alludes to pigs 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.

This derives from the Middle High German name merswin.

This originally meant «dolphin» and was used because of the animal`s grunting sounds (which were thought to be similar).^[10] 

Many other, possibly less scientifically based explanations of the German name exist.

For example, 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 the Indies).^[7] 

The Chinese refer to them as 豚鼠 (túnshǔ, ‘pig mouse’), and sometimes as Netherlands pig (荷蘭豬, hélánzhū) or Indian mouse (天竺鼠, tiānzhúshǔ).

The Japanese word for guinea pig is «モルモット» (morumotto), which derives from the name of another mountain-dwelling rodent, the marmot; this is what guinea pigs were called by the Dutch traders who first brought them to Nagasaki in 1843.

The other Japanese word for guinea pig, using kanji, is tenjiku-nezumi (天竺鼠, or てんじくねずみ), which literally translates as India rat.^[11]

The origin of «guinea» in «guinea pig» is harder to explain.

One proposed explanation is that the animals were brought to Europe by way of Guinea, leading people to think they had originated there.^[8] 

«Guinea» was also frequently used in English to refer generally to any far-off, unknown country, so the name may simply be a colorful reference to the animal’s exotic appeal.^[12][13] 

Another hypothesis suggests the «guinea» in the name is a corruption of «Guiana», an area in South America.^[12][14] 

A common misconception is that they were so named because they were sold for the price of a guinea coin; this hypothesis is untenable, because the guinea was first struck in England in 1663, and William Harvey used the term «Ginny-pig» as early as 1653.^[15] 

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.^[8]

History:

The guinea pig was first domesticated as early as 5000 BC for food by tribes in the Andean region of South America (the present-day southern part of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia),^[16] some thousands of years after the domestication of the South American camelids.^[17] 

Statues dating from circa 500 BC to 500 AD that depict guinea pigs have been unearthed in archaeological digs in Peru and Ecuador.^[18] 

The Moche people of ancient Peru worshipped animals and often depicted the guinea pig in their art.^[19] 

From about 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.^[20] 

They continue to be a food source in the region; many households in the Andean highlands raise the animal, which subsists on the family’s vegetable scraps.^[21]

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.^[22] 

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.^[23] 

They are rubbed against the bodies of the sick, and are seen as a supernatural medium.^[24]

Black guinea pigs are considered especially useful for diagnoses.^[25] 

The animal also may be cut open and its entrails examined to determine whether the cure was effective.^[26]

These methods are widely accepted in many parts of the Andes, where Western medicine is either unavailable or distrusted.^[27]

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.^[16] 

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 earlier believed to have been introduced there by Spanish travelers.^[1] 

However, based on more recent excavations on West Indian islands, the animal must have been introduced by ceramic-making horticulturalists from South America to the Caribbean around 500 BC,^[28] and it was present in the Ostionoid period, for example, on Puerto Rico,^[29] long before the advent of the Spaniards.

The guinea pig was first described in the West in 1554 by the Swiss naturalist Conrad Gessner.^[30]

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]

The earliest known European illustration of a domestic guinea pig is a painting (artist unknown) in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery in London, dated to 1580, which shows a girl in typical Elizabethan dress holding a tortoise-shell guinea pig in her hands; she is flanked by her two brothers, one of whom holds a pet bird.^[31] 

The picture dates from the same period as the oldest recorded guinea pig remains in England, which are a partial cavy skeleton found at Hill Hall, an Elizabethan manor house in Essex, and dated to around 1575.^[31]

Characteristics:

Guinea pigs are large for rodents; the common pet breeds weigh between 700 and 1,200 g (1.5 and 2.6 lb) when full grown and measure between 20 and 25 cm (8 and 10 in) in length.^[32] 

Some livestock breeds weigh 3 kilograms (6.6 lb) when full grown.^[33] 

Pet breeds live an average of four to five years, but may live as long as eight.^[34] 

According to the 2006 Guinness World Records, the longest living guinea pig survived 14 years, 10.5 months.

^[35] Most guinea pigs have fur, but one laboratory breed adopted by some pet owners, the skinny pig, is a mostly furless breed.

Some breeds are longfur breeds such as the Peruvian, the Silkie, and the Texel.

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).^[36]

^[37][38] Subsequent research using wider sampling restored the consensus among mammalian biologists regarding the current classification of rodents as monophyletic.^[39][40]

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.

^[41] While guinea pigs can jump small obstacles, most of them are poor climbers, and are not particularly agile.

They startle extremely easily, and either freeze in place for long periods or run for cover with rapid, darting motions when they sense danger.^[42] 

Larger groups of startled guinea pigs «stampede», running in haphazard directions as a means of confusing predators.^[43] 

When happily excited, guinea pigs may repeatedly perform little hops in the air (known as «popcorning»), a movement analogous to the ferret’s war dance.^[44] 

They are also good swimmers.^[45]

Like many rodents, guinea pigs sometimes participate in social grooming, and they regularly self-groom.^[46] 

A milky-white substance is secreted from their eyes and rubbed into the hair during the grooming process.^[47] 

Groups of boars often chew each other’s hair, but this is a method of establishing hierarchy within a group, rather than a social gesture.^[45] 

Dominance is also established through biting (especially of the ears), piloerection, aggressive noises, head thrusts, and leaping attacks.^[48] 

Non-sexual simulated mounting for dominance is also common among same-sex groups.

Guinea pig eyesight is not as good as that of a human in terms of distance and color, but they have a wider angle of vision (about 340°) and see in partial color (dichromacy).

They have well-developed senses of hearing, smell, and touch.^[49][50]

Vocalization is the primary means of communication between members of the species.^[51] These are the most common sounds made by the guinea pig:^[52]

• A «wheek» is 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. 

• A bubbling or purring sound is made when the guinea pig is enjoying itself, such as when being petted or held.

It may also make this sound when grooming, crawling around to investigate a new place, or when given food.

• A rumbling sound is normally related to dominance within a group, though it can also come as a response to being scared or angry.

In the case of being scared, the rumble often sounds higher and the body vibrates shortly.

While courting, a male usually purrs deeply, swaying and circling the female^[53] in a behavior called rumblestrutting.

A low rumble while walking away reluctantly shows passive resistance. 

• Chutting and whining are sounds made in pursuit situations, by the pursuer and pursuee, respectively.
• A chattering 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.

Squealing or shrieking is a high-pitched sound of discontent, in response to pain or danger. 

• Chirping, a less common sound, likened to bird song, seems to be related to stress or discomfort, or when a baby guinea pig wants to be fed.

Very rarely, the chirping will last for several minutes. 

Environment:

Natural habitat:

C. porcellus is not found naturally in the wild; it is likely descended from closely related species of cavies, such as C. aperea, C. fulgida, and C. tschudii, which are still commonly found in various regions of South America.^[1] 

Studies from 2007–2010 applied molecular markers^[54][55] and studied the skull and skeletal morphology of current and mummified animals,^[56] thereby revealing the ancestor to most likely be Cavia tschudii.

Some species of cavy identified in the 20th century, such as C. anolaimae and C. guianae, may be domestic guinea pigs that have become feral by reintroduction into the wild.^[20] 

Wild cavies are found on grassy plains and occupy an ecological niche similar to that of cattle.

They are social, living in the wild in small groups that consist of several females (sows), a male (boar), and the young (which, in a break with the preceding porcine nomenclature, are called «pups» not «piglets»).

They move together in groups (herds) eating grass or other vegetation, and do not store food.^[57] 

While they do not burrow themselves or build nests, they frequently seek shelter in the burrows of other animals, as well as in crevices and tunnels formed by vegetation.^[57] 

They tend to be most active during dawn and dusk (crepuscular), when it is harder for predators to spot them.^[42]

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, but boars can sometimes live together.

Guinea pigs learn to recognize and bond with other individual pigs, and testing of boars shows their neuroendocrine stress response is significantly lowered in the presence of a bonded female when compared to the presence of unfamiliar females.^[58] 

Groups of boars may also get along, provided their cage has enough space, they are introduced at an early age, and no females are present.^[59] 

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.^[42] 

Activity is scattered randomly throughout the day; aside from an avoidance of intense light, no regular circadian patterns are apparent.^[42]

Domestic guinea pigs generally live in cages, although some owners of large numbers of guinea pigs 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).^[60]

«Cubes and Coroplast» (C&C) style cages are now a common choice.^[61] 

Cages are often lined with wood shavings or a similar material.

Bedding made from red cedar (Eastern or Western) and pine, both softwoods, were commonly used in the past, but these materials are now believed to contain harmful phenols (aromatic hydrocarbons) and oils.^[62] 

Safer bedding materials made from hardwoods (such as aspen), paper products, and corn cob materials are other alternatives.^[62] 

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.^[63] 

After its cage has been cleaned, a guinea pig typically urinates and drags its lower body across the floor of the cage to mark its territory.^[64] 

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.

Housing guinea pigs with other rodents such as gerbils and hamsters may increase instances of respiratory and other infections,^[65] and such rodents may act aggressively toward the guinea pig.^[66] 

Larger animals may regard guinea pigs as prey, though some (such as dogs or cats) can be trained to accept them.^[67] 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.^[67][68] 

However, rabbits have different nutritional requirements; as lagomorphs, they synthesize their own Vitamin C, so the two species will not thrive if fed the same food when housed together.^[69] 

Rabbits may also harbor diseases (such as respiratory infections from Bordetella and Pasteurella), to which guinea pigs are susceptible.^[70] 

Even a dwarf rabbit is generally stronger than a guinea pig and may cause intentional or inadvertent injury.^[71]

Diet:

The guinea pig’s natural diet is grass; their molars are particularly suited for grinding plant matter and grow continuously throughout their life.^[72] 

Most mammals that graze are large and have a long digestive tract; guinea pigs have much longer colons than most rodents, but they must also supplement their diet by eating their feces (coprophagy) .^[73] 

However, they do not consume all their feces indiscriminately, but produce special soft pellets, called cecotropes (or caecal pellets), which recycle B vitamins, fiber, and bacteria required for proper digestion.^[69][74] 

The cecotropes are eaten directly from the anus, unless the guinea pig is pregnant or obese.^[69] 

They share this behaviour with rabbits.

In geriatric boars or sows (rarely in young ones), the muscles which allow the softer pellets to be expelled from the anus can become weak.

This creates a condition known as «anal impaction», which prevents the animal from redigesting cecotropes even though harder pellets may pass through the impacted mass.^[75] 

The condition may be temporarily alleviated by a human carefully removing the impacted feces from the anus.

Guinea pigs benefit from a diet of fresh grass hay, such as timothy hay, in addition to food pellets which are often based on timothy hay. 

Alfalfa hay is also a popular food choice and most guinea pigs will eat large amounts of alfalfa when offered it,^[21][76] though some controversy exists over offering 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 from the excess calcium in all animals except for pregnant and very young guinea pigs.^[77][78] 

However, published scientific sources mention alfalfa as a food source that can replenish protein, amino acids, and fiber.^[79][74][80]

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 of vitamin C daily (20 mg 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 or by eating fresh pellets designed for guinea pigs, if they have been handled properly.^[81] 

Healthy diets for guinea pigs require a complex balance of calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and hydrogen ions; but adequate amounts of vitamins A, D, and E are also necessary.^[82]

Poor diets for guinea pigs have been associated with muscular dystrophy, metastatic calcification, difficulties with pregnancy, vitamin deficiencies, and teeth problems.^[83][84] 

Guinea pigs tend to be fickle eaters when it comes to fresh fruits and vegetables after having learned early in life what is and is not appropriate to consume, and their eating habits may be difficult to change after maturity.^[74][85] 

They do not respond well to sudden changes in their diet and they may stop eating and starve rather than accept new food types.^[45] 

A constant supply of hay is generally recommended, as guinea pigs feed continuously and may develop bad habits if food is not present, such as chewing on their hair.^[86] 

Because their teeth grow constantly (as do their nails, like humans), they routinely gnaw on things, lest their teeth become too large for their jaw (a common problem in rodents).^[61] 

Guinea pigs chew on cloth, paper, plastic, and rubber, if they are available.

A number of plants are poisonous to guinea pigs, including bracken, bryony, buttercup, charlock, deadly nightshade, foxglove, hellebore, hemlock, lily of the valley, mayweed, monkshood, privet, ragwort, rhubarb, speedwell, toadflax (both Linaria vulgaris and Linaria dalmatica), and wild celery.^[87] 

Additionally, any plant which grows from a bulb (e.g., tulip or onion) is normally considered poisonous,^[88] as well as ivy and oak tree leaves.

A guinea pig may or may not eat poisonous material.

Reproduction:

Males reach sexual maturity in 3–5 weeks, while females can be fertile as early as 4 weeks old, and can carry litters before they are adults.^[89] 

The female guinea pig is able to breed year-round, with spring being the peak.

A sow can have as many as five litters in a year, but six is theoretically possible.^[20] 

Unlike the offspring of most rodents, which are altricial at birth, newborn cavy pups are precocial, and are well-developed with hair, teeth, claws, and partial eyesight.^[45] 

The pups are immediately mobile and begin eating solid food immediately, though they continue to suckle.

Females can once again become pregnant 6–48 hours after giving birth, but it is not healthy for a female to be constantly pregnant.^[90]

The gestation period lasts from 59 days (1.9 months) to 72 days (2.4 months), with an average of 63–68 days.^[64] 

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 depending upon the size of the litter. 

Litter size ranges from one to six, with three being the average;^[91] the largest recorded litter size is 17.^[92] 

The guinea pig mother only has two nipples, but she can readily raise the more average-sized litters of 2 to 4 pups.^[93][94] 

In smaller litters, difficulties may occur during labour due to oversized 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.^[95]

Cohabitating females assist in mothering duties if lactating;^[96] guinea pigs practice alloparental care, in which a female may adopt the pup(s) of another.

This might take place if the original parents die or are for some reason separated from them.

This behavior is common and is seen in many other animal species such as the elephant.^[97]

Toxemia of pregnancy (hypertension) is a common problem 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.^[98] 

Pregnancy toxemia appears to be most common in hot climates.^[99] 

Other serious complications during pregnancy can include a prolapsed uterus, hypocalcaemia, and mastitis.^[100]

Females that do not give birth may develop an irreversible fusing of the pubic symphysis, a joint in the pelvis, due to calcification which may occur between 6 and 10 months of age.^[64]:73[101] 

If they become pregnant after this has happened, the birth canal will probably not widen sufficiently and this may lead to dystocia and death as they attempt to give birth.^[102] 

Calcification of the female’s pubic symphysis if not bred is greatly overstated.

The reason for potential calcification is a metabolic disease, like ochronosis.

A healthy, normal female guinea pig’s pubic symphysis does not calcify.^[103]

Male and female guinea pigs do not differ in appearance apart from general size, with the male being about 30% larger.^[104] 

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 male genitals may look similar, with the penis and anus forming a similar shape, the penis will protrude if pressure is applied to the surrounding hair.^[105] 

The male’s testes may also be visible externally from scrotal swelling.

Health problems:

Common ailments in domestic guinea pigs include respiratory tract infections, 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.^[106]

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.^[107] 

Guinea pigs may also suffer from «running lice» (Gliricola porcelli), a small, white insect which can be seen moving through the hair; their eggs, 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.^[108]

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.^[109] 

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.^[110]

Because the guinea pig has a stout, compact body, it more easily tolerates excessive cold than excessive heat.^[111] 

Its normal body temperature is 101–104 °F (38–40 °C),^[112] so its ideal ambient air temperature range is similar to a human’s, about 65–75 °F (18–24 °C).^[111] 

Consistent ambient temperatures in excess of 90 °F (32 °C) have been linked to hyperthermia and death, especially among pregnant sows.^[111] 

Guinea pigs are not well suited to environments that feature wind or frequent drafts,^[113] and respond poorly to extremes of humidity outside of the range of 30–70%.^[114]

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.^[115][116]

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.^[117] 

Other genetic disorders include «waltzing disease» (deafness coupled with a tendency to run in circles), palsy, and tremor conditions.^[118]

As pets:

Handling, temperament and socialization:

If handled correctly early in life, guinea pigs become amenable to being picked up and carried, and seldom bite or scratch.^[45] 

They are timid explorers and often hesitate to attempt an escape from their cage even when an opportunity presents itself.^[68] 

Still, they show considerable curiosity when allowed to walk freely, especially in familiar and safe terrain.

Guinea pigs that 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.

In Switzerland, owning a single guinea pig is considered harmful to its well-being and forbidden by law.^[119]

Appearance, coat and grooming:

Domesticated guinea pigs occur 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.
Grooming of guinea pigs is primarily accomplished using combs or brushes.
Shorthair breeds are typically brushed weekly, while longhair breeds may require daily grooming.^[120]

Clubs and associations:

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.^[121] 
The British Cavy Council governs cavy clubs in the United Kingdom. Similar organizations exist in Australia (Australian National Cavy Council)^[122] and New Zealand (New Zealand Cavy Council).^[123] 
Each club publishes its own standard of perfection and determines which breeds are eligible for showing.

Allergies to guinea pigs:

Allergic symptoms, including rhinitis, conjunctivitis, and asthma, have been documented in laboratory animal workers who come into contact with guinea pigs.^[124][125] 

Allergic reactions following direct exposure to guinea pigs in domestic settings have also been reported.^[124] 

Two major guinea pig allergens, Cav p I and Cav p II, have been identified in guinea pig fluids (urine and saliva) and guinea pig dander.^[124] 

People who are allergic to guinea pigs are usually allergic to hamsters and gerbils, as well.^[126] 

Allergy shots can successfully treat an allergy to guinea pigs, although treatment can take up to 18 months.

In popular culture and media:

As a result of their widespread popularity, especially in households with children, guinea pigs have shown a presence in culture and media.
Some noted appearances of the animal in literature include the short story «Pigs Is Pigs» by Ellis Parker Butler, which is a tale of bureaucratic incompetence.
Two guinea pigs held at a railway station breed unchecked while humans argue as to whether they are «pigs» or «pets» for the purpose of determining freight charges.^[127] 
Butler’s story, in turn, inspired the Star Trek: The Original Series episode «The Trouble with Tribbles», written by David Gerrold.^[128]
In the Golden Hamster Saga books, two guinea pigs named Enrico and Caruso 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.

In children’s literature:

The Fairy Caravan, a novel by Beatrix Potter,^[129] and Michael Bond’s Olga da Polga series for children,^[130] both feature guinea pigs as the 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.^[131] 
In Ursula Dubosarsky’s Maisie and the Pinny Gig, a little girl has a recurrent dream about a giant guinea pig, while guinea pigs feature significantly in several of Dubosarsky’s other books, including the young adult novel The White Guinea Pig and The Game of the Goose.^[132]

In film and television:

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 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,^[133] Snapple, and Blockbuster Video.^[134] 
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.^[71] 
In the South Park season 12 episode «Pandemic 2: The Startling», giant guinea pigs dressed in costumes rampage over the Earth.^[135] 
The 2009 Walt Disney Pictures movie G-Force features a group of highly intelligent guinea pigs trained as operatives of the U.S. government.
A video game based on the movie was also released.
A guinea pig named Bugsy appears in the 2008 film Bedtime Stories.
A guinea pig named Cashew features prominently in the second season of the U.S. adaptation of House of Cards.

As food:

South America:

Guinea pigs (called cuy, cuye, or curí) were originally domesticated for their meat in the Andes.
Traditionally, the animal was reserved for ceremonial meals and as a delicacy 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 in Colombia,^[137] exclusively in highland locations in the department of Nariño near the border with Ecuador.
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 cattle;^[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]

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 12 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.^[16] 

The exact form 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.^[16] 

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.^[16]

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] 

There are also guinea pig festivals held in Huancayo, Cusco, Lima, and Huacho, featuring costumes and guinea pig dishes.

Most guinea pig celebrations take place on the National Guinea Pig Day (Día Nacional del Cuy) across Peru on the second Friday of October.^[145]

Breeding program:

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, to make the raising of guinea pigs as livestock more economically sustainable.^[147] 
The variety of guinea pig produced by La Molina is fast-growing and can weigh 3 kilograms (6.6 lb).^[33] 
All the large breeds of guinea pig are known as cuy mejorados and the pet breeds are known as cuy criollos.
The three original lines out of Peru were the Perú (weighing 800 grams (28 oz) by 2 weeks), the Andina, and the Inti.^[148]

Western world:

Andean immigrants in New York City raise and sell guinea pigs for meat, and some South American restaurants in major cities in the United States serve cuy as a delicacy.^[149][33] 
In the 1990s and 2000s, La Molina University began exporting large breed guinea pigs to Europe, Japan, and the United States in the hope of increasing human consumption outside of countries in northern South America.^[4]

Sub-Saharan Africa:

Many efforts have also been made to promote guinea pig husbandry in developing countries of West Africa,^[138] where they occur more widely than generally known because they are usually not covered by livestock statistics.
However, it has not been known when and where the animals have been introduced to Africa.^[150] 
In Cameroon, they are widely distributed.^[151][152] In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, they can be found both in peri-urban environments^[153] as well as in rural regions, for example, in South Kivu.^[154][155] 
They are also frequently held in rural households in Iringa Region of southwestern Tanzania.^[156][157]

In scientific research:

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.^[158]
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.^[159] 
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.^[160] 
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.^[161] 
China also launched and recovered a biosatellite in 1990 which included guinea pigs as passengers.^[162]

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.^[163] 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.^[164] 

The book became a national bestseller in the United States, thus further popularizing the term, and spurred the growth of the consumer protection movement.^[165] 

During World War II, the plastic surgeon Archibald McIndoe established the Guinea Pig Club at Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead, Sussex, England as a social club and mutual support network for his patients, who were undergoing previously-untested reconstruction procedures.

The negative connotation of the term was later employed in the novel The Guinea Pigs (1970) by Czech author Ludvík Vaculík as an allegory for Soviet totalitarianism.^[166]

Guinea pigs remained 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,^[167] but that total decreased to about 375,000 by the mid-1990s.^[45] 

As of 2007, they constitute about 2% of the current total of laboratory animals.^[167] 

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.^[168] 

Less common uses included research in pharmacology and irradiation.^[168] 

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.^[118][169] 

In 2004, the U.S.’s National Human Genome Research Institute announced plans to sequence the genome of the domestic guinea pig.^[170]

The guinea pig was most extensively implemented in research and diagnosis of infectious diseases.^[168] 

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.^[168] 

They are still frequently used to diagnose tuberculosis, since they are easily infected by human tuberculosis bacteria.^[167] 

Because guinea pigs are one of the few animals which, like humans and other primates, cannot synthesize vitamin C, but must obtain it from their diet, they are ideal for researching scurvy.^[167] 

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.^[171][172]
Complement, an important component for serology, was first isolated from the blood of the guinea pig.^[167] 
Guinea pigs have an unusual insulin mutation,^[173] and are a suitable species for the generation of anti-insulin antibodies.^[174] 
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.^[175] 
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.^[96] 
Their placental structure is similar to that of humans, and their gestation period can be divided into trimesters that resemble the stages of fetal development in humans.^[176]

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.^[177] 

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 still used with any frequency are, following Sewall Wright’s designations, «Strain 2″ and «Strain 13«.^[118][177]

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.^[178] 

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.^[179] 

Cavy fanciers then began acquiring hairless breeds, and the pet hairless varieties are referred to as «skinny pigs».

Gallery Slide-Show Images:

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  Two parti-colored Abyssinian guinea pigs.

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  Guinea pigs «social groom» each other.

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  This cat has accepted a pair of guinea pigs. However, the success of interspecies interaction depends on the individual animals.

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  A silver agouti guinea pig eating grass.

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  A short-haired guinea pig eating a piece of apple.

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  Pregnant sow one week before delivering three pups.

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  Guinea pig pup at eight hours old.

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

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  A lilac, orange, and white satin Peruvian guinea pig with a show-length coat.

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  Cuy being raised at home in the traditional Andean fashion.

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  Traditional preparation of a grilled cuy in Quito, Ecuador.

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  Typical cuy guinea pigs raised non-commercially for the table in South America, showing common size and markings.

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  Dish from Ecuador called cuy.

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  A guinea pig being examined by a veterinary medical officer for a study on leptospirosis.

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